Dene Man, Darryl Sabourin (45), Killed in “Altercation” with Security Officers at Edmonton Hospital (March 6, 2024)

Darryl Sabourin, a 45-year-old Dene father of four from Hay River, NWT was killed after what is described as “an altercation” with security officers at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton on March 6, 2024. It is reported that Mr. Sabourin checked himself into the hospital for detox treatment for alcohol addiction on March 4.

His sister-in-law Shauna Gordon claims that he was restrained by “peace officers” and believes that they used excessive force on him. Gordon says that staff told her Mr. Sabourin had been restrained by peace officers after growing agitated in the facility’s detox area early that morning. She reports that he was restrained and eventually became unresponsive. Resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful. Gordon told media that when she saw Sabourin’s body, his face was covered in bruises, and a tube filled with blood was in his throat.

Because this death involved private security, Edmonton Police Service (EPS) are the ones investigating. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASRIT), which covers formal police forces had not been informed of the case prior to media inquiries.

Mr. Sabourin was father to four sons, aged 11 to 19. Shauna Gordon is caring for them and tells media they are stunned by his loss. In her words, “They are extremely angry. They’re unable to breathe, just crying and crying in my house. It’s really devastating.”

The family has set up a fundraiser to cover funeral costs and arrangements.

Abbotsford Police Shoot and Kill Man Following Call at Hospital (Nov. 30, 2023)

A man was shot and killed by an Abbotsford Police Department (APD) officer following a call to the Abbotsford Regional Hospital on November 30, 2023. The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC reports that at about 3:45 PM, APD officers responded to a report of a man with a weapon at the Abbotsford Regional Hospital. When police arrived, there was allegedly some sort of unspecified interaction between the man and police and an officer fired their weapon, striking the man. The victim received immediate treatment but was subsequently pronounced dead.

Initial reports said the shooting occurred at the hospital. Subsequent reports said officers arrived in the area of Robertson Avenue and Ware Street and a confrontation occurred in that area. Police have said the man was running away, but it is not reported how police intervened against him prior to shooting him.

Man (46) Dies Following Edmonton Police Arrest (Sept. 20-Oct. 2, 2023)

A 46-year-old man has died in hospital weeks after he was arrested by  Edmonton Police Service (EPS). It is reported that Edmonton police responded to a complaint on September 20, at around 12:44 AM, regarding a man “acting erratically,” possibly impaired,” while allegedly swinging an ice chipper at the ground and at a passing vehicle.

Police say that when officers arrived, the man did comply with their demands to put down the chipper and to lay on the ground. While he was being put in handcuffs he went into medical distress.

Paramedics responded and transported through man to hospital.

On October 2, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) was informed by the Edmonton Medical Examiner’s Office that the 46-year-old man had died in hospital.

Quebec City Police Shoot and Kill Man in Crisis Outside Hospital (July 27, 2023)

Quebec City police shot and killed a man who was in distress outside a hospital on the morning of July 27, 2023.

The Bureau of Independent Investigations (BEI) reports that police teceived a 911 call at around 11:25 AM regarding a man in crisis in front of Hôpital de l’Enfant-Jésus, in Quebec City’s La Cité-Limoilou borough. Witnesses reported hearing gunshots.

Incredibly the Service de police de la Ville de Québec (SPVQ), have tried to shame and blame the victim. They released a statement saying the man was “talking out of turn” and “behaving in a threatening manner towards other hospital users and passersby on the public highway.”

They also claimed the man made “rambling remarks” before police shot him.

Police are not about health care and should not be deployed against people in distress.

The BEI has assigned six investigators and a BEI supervisor to examine the killing. They are not an independent agency and rely on police from other forces for their investigations.

Woman (22) Dies After Being in Edmonton Police Custody (Oct. 15-18, 2022)

A 22-year-old woman died after being in police custody on October 15, 2022. The reported timeline raises some questions.

According to the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT), the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) claims that officers responded to a call from EMS for assistance with a woman who was believed to be intoxicated at a business in the area of 34 Avenue and Gateway Boulevard. Police claim they put the woman in handcuffs until EMS arrived. On arrival, EMS assessed the woman, but police claim she declined transport to the hospital.

Police then claim that the woman’s family said they were going to take her to hospital in their own vehicle. At some point police say she became uncooperative. Then EPS claim that the family waved down police to help take the woman to hospital, at around 11:47 PM. Officers handcuffed the woman again and put her in the back seat of a police vehicle to transport her to hospital. When police arrived with the woman at the hospital, a bit after midnight, they claim the woman was unresponsive and not breathing.

Hospital staff took over the woman’s care at 12:08 AM on October 16. Police report that she died in hospital on October 18.

No other details have been released. It has not been clarified when EMS arrived relative to the call to police and the arrival of police. It has also not been clarified why the family waved down a police vehicle if police were already on scene and had handcuffed the woman once.

Man (72) Dies During Police Action in Sundre, Alberta Hospital (Sept. 23, 2022)

A 72-year-old man died during a police action involving RCMP and Alberta Health Services (AHS) officers at a hospital in Sundre, Alberta, on September 23, 2022.

It has been reported that RCMP officers from the Sundre detachment responded to a 911 call from an Alberta Health Services officer at 10:54 AM, regarding a person they alleged was being “physically violent.”

Upon arrival, RCMP engaged in a physical confrontation and the man went into medical distress. At approximately 12:20 PM, the 72-year-old man died in hospital.

RCMP have not said if the man was a patient or worker at the hospital. AHS have said that the health authority “will not be providing further information at this time” because the RCMP is investigating.

Man Dies After Being Taken to Hospital by RCMP in Vernon (April 25, 2022)

The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC is investigating a man’s death in Vernon after being transported to hospital by RCMP on April 25, 2022. They report that police attended a residence to transport a man to hospital at around 7:25 AM. He went into medical distress shortly after arrival and was pronounced dead soon afterward.

Thirty-Three-Year-Old Man Dies in Prince Albert Police Custody (Nov. 7, 2021)

A 33-year-old man died in custody of the Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, police on November 7, 2021. It is reported that he was arrested for “outstanding warrants” that afternoon and put in a cell to await a court appearance and was found unresponsive at around 7:30 PM. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Victoria Hospital.

This is the third death in Prince Albert police custody in the past 30 days. On October 11, a 35-year-old man was found unresponsive in his cell and transported to the Victoria Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. A 29-year-old man died at Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon on October 12 after being taken into custody a week earlier. Prince Albert Grand Council has reported that both of these victims were First Nations members.

There is no independent oversight body in Saskatchewan and police investigate police. The Saskatchewan coroners service and Saskatoon city police will investigate this death. Two independent observers have also been assigned by the provincial government.

Man in Distress Dies After Forcible Restraint by Police in Sept-Îles Hospital (July 23, 2021)

A 49-year-old man died when Sûreté du Québec (SQ) officers used force to restrain him in Sept-Îles hospital on July 23. The Bureau des Enquêtes Indépendantes (Bureau of Independent Investigations, BEI) is investigating.

The BEI report that at around 1:05 PM, the SQ officers were called by staff of the Sept-Îles hospital, for a “disorganized and agitated patient.” During their intervention police used force to restrain the man who lost consciousness. He reportedly received medical treatment which was unsuccessful.

The BEI have assigned five investigators to the case. The BEI is not an independent agency and relies on other police forces to carry out their investigations.

This is at least the second case this year in which someone receiving medical assistance has died when police intervened with force to restrain the person. Police are not about health and wellness and need to be kept away from health care.

22-Year-Old Man Dies from Injuries in Peel Police Engagement (Brampton, Ont., July 2, 2021)

A 22-year-old man died in hospital on July 2, 2021, from injuries received in an interaction with Peel police in a Brampton apartment building on July 1. The Special Investigations Unit reports that police responded at around 4:00 PM on reports of gunshots in an apartment building in the area of Charolais Boulevard and McMurchy Avenue South.

When Peel police arrived, they engaged in some sort interaction with a 22-year-old man. During the interaction the man went into medical distress and was transported to hospital in life-threatening condition. He died there shortly after 3:00 PM on July 2.

No other details have been released publicly, including what police did to the man or the nature of his injuries. It has been reported that the victim was not shot by police.