RCMP members cleared in death of man temporarily sheltered at Fort Macleod detachment

A file photo of an RCMP cruiser. (Sean Amato/CTV News Edmonton)

An investigation into the 2020 death of a Fort Macleod man who perished the day after RCMP members sheltered him in a holding cell has confirmed he died from natural causes.

Officers were called to an area outside of the Fort Macleod Public Library shortly after 8 p.m. on Oct. 4, 2020 for reports of a man on the ground.

The man told the RCMP members that he was diabetic and suffered from pneumonia. The officers, according to the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT), suspected the man was intoxicated and an EMS crew transported him to hospital for treatment.

Following his release from hospital, one of the officers who initially responded to the call drove the man to the home where he had been staying but the people inside the house would not allow him inside.

The man was taken to the detachment to spend the night in a cell when he suffered a slip and fall while the officer and staff members were processing him. ASIRT say the man did not appear injured and was released the following morning.

A local shelter was unable to accept the man due to COVID-19 concerns and one of the people he had been living with agreed to allow him back home.

Later that night, the man was found not breathing and EMS was deployed. The man was pronounced dead in the home.

An autopsy confirmed the man died of natural causes related to his pre-existing health conditions and there was no evidence of a traumatic injury.

ASIRT officials concluded that the man's interactions with police did not contribute to his death and no criminal offence had been committed.