A 43-year-old Yukon man died while in police custody in Whitehorse last night.
The name and place of residence of the man have not been released. Whitehorse RCMP are only identifying him as a Yukon man, “because our communities are quite small,” and the man’s family does not yet know of the death, said Sgt. Roger Lockwood.
Police arrested the man for disturbing the peace at the Whitehorse Salvation Army shortly after 5 a.m. He was put in a cell in the RCMP detachment.
At 6:43 p.m., police called emergency services to report the man was unconscious and in “medical distress.” Officers gave the man first aid until an ambulance arrived five minutes later to take the man to hospital.
At 9:13, the man was declared dead at Whitehorse General Hospital.
Police never used a Taser on the man, said Lockwood.
An investigation will look into the cause of the man’s death, led by RCMP from BC. An autopsy and coroner’s inquest will also be held.
All this is standard RCMP procedure for in-custody deaths.