No charges recommended against RCMP after woman died following arrest

CBC News

· Posted: Jun 11, 2025 11:02 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

Manitoba's constabulary watchdog says the decease of a pistillate who'd utilized cocaine was a "heartbreaking incident," but nary charges should beryllium laid against RCMP officers who had her successful custody erstwhile she became unresponsive.

The pistillate was rushed to a infirmary successful Manitoba's Interlake region, past airlifted to St. Boniface Hospital successful Winnipeg, wherever she aboriginal died.

In its last study connected the incident, the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba said the preliminary origin of decease was complications of transient cardiorespiratory owed to acute cocaine toxicity.

"Subject to further grounds arising from the last autopsy, IIU has completed its probe and this substance is present closed," the study says.

Around 8 p.m. connected Jan. 15, officers responded to a 911 hang-up telephone astatine a residence successful the Interlake assemblage of Vogar, adjacent Lake Manitoba Narrows, the study says.

They were told a pistillate nether the power of drugs had attempted to usage a weapon connected idiosyncratic other successful the house, constabulary told the IIU.

A witnesser astatine the location told officers the pistillate was shaky, sweating and delusional, and had tried to barricade the location with chairs aft hallucinating astir radical who weren't really there, the study says.

Another witnesser told the IIU the pistillate had called police, asking them to travel get her due to the fact that radical were trying to stab her.

At immoderate point, the pistillate climbed into a integrative retention bin connected the structure and sat successful it. When officers arrived, she was halfway successful the tipped-over bin, connected her hands and knees.

Two officers handcuffed her and lifted her up, then carried her to the backmost spot of a constabulary vehicle. The pistillate was kicking and screaming erstwhile she was inside, the study says.

Officers told the different radical astatine the location that they planned to instrumentality the pistillate to the infirmary due to the fact that she whitethorn person overdosed.

Not breathing, nary pulse

On the mode to Lakeshore Hospital successful the adjacent municipality of Ashern, astir 5 minutes aft leaving Vogar, the pistillate stopped making sound and she didn't respond when constabulary spoke to her.

The officer pulled implicit and recovered she had nary pulse and was not breathing, the study says.

Police called for an ambulance and provided exigency attraction until paramedics took over.

The pistillate was rushed to Lakeshore Hospital and past airlifted to St. Boniface Hospital successful Winnipeg, wherever she was pronounced dormant connected Jan. 16. 

A toxicology study confirmed the pistillate had consumed cocaine earlier being taken into custody. Although it hasn't yet received the last autopsy report, the IIU said it decided to merchandise its study "to beryllium accountable to the nationalist successful a timely manner."

"After a implicit reappraisal of the grounds disposable successful this heartbreaking incidental … the civilian manager is declining to laic charges successful this matter," it says.

During its investigation, the IIU examined officer notes and reports, audio transmissions, video footage from the constabulary conveyance and medical reports, successful summation to interviewing officers and witnesses.