Calgary police are investigating after a man died following an altercation with CBSA officers on a plane at the Calgary airport on Tuesday.
A KLM flight bound for Amsterdam was returned to the gate at about 3:00 p.m. after a male passenger got into an exchange with CBSA agents.
The 49-year-old man went into medical distress and was removed from the plane, but later died in hospital.
“At this time we have no information that a weapon was used,” said CPS Staff Sergeant Colin Chisholm. “He was not known to Calgary police.”
An autopsy on the man has been completed but the cause of death has still not been determined.
The identity of the man is being withheld until next of kin are notified.
Calgary police say the case is being investigated as an ‘in-custody’ death and that details are limited.
“It’s very unique. We rarely come across an incident where we have an in-custody death that we investigate,” Chisholm said. “The fact that the CBSA does not fall under ASIRT’s purview in Alberta, that’s why we’re doing the investigation.”
Two CBSA officers were also treated for minor injuries in the incident.
“We want to talk to everybody. We want to do a fair and impartial investigation, a complete investigation and it’s going to be a thorough investigation and therefore the time frame is going to be months down the road before we can say the investigation is completed,” said Chisholm.
Anyone with information about this case or knows of anyone who was on the flight who witnessed this incident, is asked to contact the Calgary Police Service at 403-266-1234, or Crime Stoppers anonymously using either of the following methods:
TALK: 1-800-222-8477
TYPE: www.calgarycrimestoppers.org
