Peel Police Cleared Again in Man’s Naloxone-Related Death in Brampton

Published May 20, 2018 at 3:49 pm

Peel Regional Police officers have been cleared in the death of a man -again- after giving him an anti-overdose drug in Brampton.

Peel Regional Police officers have been cleared in the death of a man -again- after giving him an anti-overdose drug in Brampton.

“The police officer’s sole contact with the man consisted of attempting to perform life-saving measures, which unfortunately were not successful,” said Special Investigations Unit (SIU) director Tony Loparco in a decision released May 18.

“Accordingly, I have terminated this investigation.”

Officers were dispatched to a medical assistance call on April 27 at a Brampton home near Main St. N. and Queen St. W. around 11 p.m.

They found the 50-year-old man and began CPR before an officer administered Narcan nasal spray. 

Peel paramedics arrived and took over.

The man was transported to hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The SIU automatically invoked its mandate — marking at least three naloxone-related cases in which Peel officers were subjected to an investigation by the police watchdog then cleared.

The issue over investigating naloxone-related deaths is a contentious one, with Ontario’s police chiefs battling the province’s SIU in the midst of the opioid crisis.

Out in B.C., the administration of naloxone isn’t investigated by the SIU.But in Ontario, the SIU says police must advise the agency when a death occurs during police interaction if naloxone was attempted or administered.

Peel’s new police association president, Adrian Woolley, has been openly critical of Loparco and top government officials, including Premier Kathleen Wynne and Attorney General Yasir Naqvi.

Officers were cleared in a March 12 Brampton overdose, and an April 5 overdose in Mississauga.

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