The Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has cleared Barrie police of any wrongdoing after a man went into "acute medical distress" due to a drug overdose following his arrest in December.
Around 4 a.m. on Dec. 6, 2020, Barrie police responded to the Quality Inn on Hart Drive after a woman reported she had been assaulted by a man in a room.
Officers arrested a 35-year-old man for assault. The interaction between the suspect and the responding officer was recorded on a police body-camera, which indicated he had been taken into custody without incident, the SIU said in its final report. No complaints of injury or mistreatment by any Barrie police official were recorded on the footage.
The man — referred to by the SIU as the "complainant" in its report — was transported to the police station. As he was being booked, the man "became unsteady on his feet and unresponsive" and "increasingly drowsy." He began to nod off during a search and was asked several times if he had taken any drugs, the SIU report noted. He did not answer and went into medical distress around 5:30 a.m.
CPR was administered by a police "official" and the man was twice given naloxone. A police "official" can include special constables, officers, or a peace officer with the Legislative Protective Service.
"A slight pulse that was initially felt disappeared," the SIU report noted. "The complainant was immediately placed to the floor and laid on his back."
Chest compressions were started and a third dose of naloxone was administered, again through the nasal passage.
"Moaning was heard as the complainant continued to be told to breathe and wake up," the SIU report noted.
About 10 minutes later, paramedics arrived, took over care of the man and transported him to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH).
"The complainant was not expected to recover," the SIU noted in its report, adding it is suspected he had "secreted drugs into his rectum prior to being arrested."
Arriving at hospital at 6:10 a.m., the man was revived and responded to further naloxone treatment. He remained in hospital until Dec. 17, 2020, when he was discharged into the custody of guards with the Central North Correctional Centre (CNCC) in Penetanguishene.
On Monday, SIU director Joseph Martino released his findings.
"On my assessment of the evidence, there are no reasonable grounds to believe that the (subject official) committed a criminal offence in connection with the complainant’s medical condition," Martino said.
The SIU is an arm’s-length agency that investigates reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.
