The Director of the Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) found no reasonable grounds to believe members of Charlottetown Police Services (CPS) committed a criminal offence in connection to the death of an adult male in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
On the morning of October 11, 2025, an adult male entered the Charlottetown Police Station as he understood the police were looking for him. The male was arrested for theft. During the booking process, the male’s behaviour became increasingly erratic and it was determined that he required medical attention and should be transported to the hospital. A struggle ensued between the male and three CPS officers as they placed him in handcuffs and put him in the back of a police vehicle. On the way to the hospital, the male went into medical distress. Officers pulled over to check on him, reposition him and then called dispatch to advise the hospital to have someone ready to assist when they arrived. When they arrived at the hospital, the male was not breathing. Medical staff took over and the male remained in hospital until his death on October 15, 2025. Following an autopsy no significant injuries were found, and the cause of death was determined to be cocaine toxicity.
The Director’s detailed summary report is available online: [Link].
SiRT is responsible for investigating all matters that involve death, serious injury, sexual assault and intimate partner violence or other matters of a public interest that may have arisen from the actions of any police officer, on or off duty, in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Investigations are under the direction and control of an independent civilian director, who has the sole authority to determine if charges should be laid at the conclusion of an investigation. The Nova Scotia Police Act permits the Minister of Justice, on the recommendation of the SiRT Director, to enter into agreements with another province of Canada for SiRT to conduct an investigation on an ad-hoc basis. The Prince Edward Island Police Act permits the Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General to enter into such an agreements. To learn more, visit: sirtnsnb.ca .
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