Alleged assault victim dies after ‘medical emergency’ at Winnipeg detox centre while in police custody
Posted June 30, 2025 1:59 pm.
Last Updated June 30, 2025 2:03 pm.
An alleged assault victim who was detained by police and taken to a detoxification centre died while in custody, and Manitoba’s police watchdog is investigating.
The Winnipeg Police Service says officers were called to the report of a man being assaulted by five people on Mayfair Avenue Friday around 5:13 a.m.
Police say they arrived and requested an ambulance for a man in his 20s, who reportedly told officers he had been struck in the head. The victim was later medically cleared by paramedics.
WPS says the suspects had fled when police arrived, and the victim declined further police involvement in the assault investigation.
The victim was then detained by police “due to his level of intoxication” and taken to the Main Street Project, where they say he was medically cleared again and lodged.
Around 10:39 a.m., while still lodged under the Intoxicated Persons Detention Act, police say the man had a “medical emergency.”
“The centre called 911 and he was transported to hospital by ambulance where he was pronounced deceased,” the WPS wrote in a news release.
The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba (IIU) is investigating.
