The province’s Special Investigations Unit has determined there was no criminal offence in connection to a 36-year-old woman’s hospitalization in Stratford last summer.
The woman was found in medical distress in a cell at the Stratford Police Station on Aug. 21, administered Narcan by paramedics, and taken to hospital for a drug overdose.
According to the SIU report, the woman was arrested at 2:45 a.m. for contravening a condition of her release. She had a quantity of fentanyl, which was confiscated.
Later that morning, she was lodged in a cell.
At about 11 a.m., a special constable tasked with monitoring her found her in medical distress. Officers attempted but were unable to wake her.
Paramedics were called to the cells and multiple doses of Narcan were administered and she was taken to hospital and treated for drug overdose.
A container of suspected fentanyl was located in the woman’s bra. Toxicology testing revealed the presence of cocaine, methamphetamine, amphetamine, benzodiazepines and fentanyl in her system, according to the SIU report.
The report stated that the woman was lawfully in custody.
The report stated that there are certainly aspects of the treatment, or lack thereof, that are subject to scrutiny. There were searches that did not disclose what appeared to be the quantity of fentanyl concealed in her bra.
“It might well be that a more thorough search conducted by an officer of the same sex, or even a strip search, for which there were probably grounds, would have discovered the drugs and prevented their apparent ingestion…while she was being detained.”
The woman was monitored in person and through video checks.
The report stated that whatever the shortcomings in care provided, they did not amount to a marked departure from a reasonable standard of care
On assessment of evidence, the SIU determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe that an officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the woman’s hospitalization.
