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The provincial police watchdog has been directed to investigate after a man died following an altercation during his arrest by Lloydminster RCMP.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has been called to investigate the RCMP’s conduct after a 26-year-old man went into medical distress as officers tried to restrain him during an arrest on May 7, a news release said Monday.
RCMP received reports that an intoxicated man wielding a machete was causing a disturbance at a home in the eastern Alberta community at around 5:09 a.m. Two officers responded and located the man on the back deck of the home. The other occupants had locked themselves in a basement bedroom.
ASIRT said that when the officers attempted to arrest the man, an altercation occurred and additional officers were sent to the home. As they attempted to restrain the man, the RCMP members noticed he had gone into medical distress and they tried to resuscitate him.
EMS crews were called to the scene and began treating the man. Lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful and he died at the scene.
ASIRT will now investigate the conduct of RCMP while police will carry out the investigation into the man’s actions.
