Saskatchewan

Death of prisoner in custody of Prince Albert police is 3rd in a month

The man put into a cell to await a court appearance was found unresponsive on Sunday night. He was pronounced dead at Victoria Hospital.

Man, 33, pronounced dead after being found unresponsive in police cells

Police car parked
The Saskatoon Police Service and the Saskatchewan Coroners Service are investigating the death of a man who was in the custody of the Prince Albert police. It's the third such case in a month. (Prince Albert Police Service)

The Saskatchewan coroners service and Saskatoon city police have been brought in to investigate after a man died in the custody of the Prince Albert police.

The 33-year-old man was arrested on outstanding warrants Sunday afternoon, Prince Albert police said in a news release.

He was put into a cell to await a court appearance, but around 7:30 p.m. CST,  he was found unresponsive, police say.

Paramedics tried to revive him but he was pronounced dead on arrival at Victoria Hospital.

An autopsy is scheduled to take place Tuesday.

Two independent observers have been assigned by the provincial government to oversee the investigation.

It's the third such case in the past 30 days.

A 29-year-old man died at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon on Oct. 12. He had been taken into custody by Prince Albert police a week earlier.

The other case was on Oct. 11. A  35-year-old man was found unresponsive in his cell in a detention area and transported to the Victoria Hospital where he was later pronounced dead, the police said last month.