Following a disturbance complaint, a 59-year-old male was arrested by Ponoka RCMP and lodged in the RCMP detachment's cells. While in custody, it was recognized that the male was in medical distress. EMS was contacted and the male was transported to an area hospital where he remains in critical condition.
Because this event occurred while the male was in RCMP custody, the investigation into the cause of his medical condition was reported to the Director of Law Enforcement. The matter has been referred to ASIRT for investigation.
The RCMP believes in processes that seek the facts and it's important that processes taken to assess the actions of all those involved, including the police, are fair, transparent, and defendable.
RCMP's internal review process, in conjunction with the ASIRT process, has been implemented to gather a full account of what took place during this incident.
As the investigation into the incident is now with ASIRT, we will not be commenting further. All media inquiries about this incident should be directed to ASIRT at 780-641-9099.