SIRT, the Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team, investigated an in-custody death from August 22nd, 2023, and believe that the man who died had drugs inside his body and turned himself in on warrants to the Regina Police Service with the intent of smuggling drugs into the correctional facility.

The affected person was arrested and booked into cells, and around 3:45 a.m., he was found non-responsive in his cell and was transported to Regina General Hospital in critical condition but later died in hospital.

While being treated in hospital five packages were removed from the man’s body and a sixth removed during a subsequent autopsy. Thirteen members of the police service were interviewed or provided their notes on the incident and eleven civilian witnesses were interviewed as well.

In its report SIRT says regardless of the affected person’s reason for placing himself into custody there are no grounds to believe any police officer committed any Criminal Code offence during the course of this incident and no charges will be laid.