Man goes into medical distress while in police custody, dies: N.S. RCMP

The SiRT logo is seen in an undated file photo.

Nova Scotia’s Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) is investigating after a man died while in custody at the Digby RCMP detachment.

Digby RCMP responded to a call for service at a business on Warwick Street around 3 p.m. Monday.

When police arrived, they arrested a man outside of the business for public intoxication. He was taken to the Digby RCMP detachment and placed in cells.

Around 7 a.m. Tuesday, the force says the man went into medical distress while still in custody. SiRT says this resulted in the man sustaining a “serious injury” and becoming ill.

Officers contacted EHS and provided first aid, according to an RCMP news release.

The man was taken to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Digby RCMP has since referred the matter to SiRT.

SiRT is responsible for investigating all serious incidents involving police in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

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