Peel Police Cleared in Man’s Naloxone-Related Death in Mississauga
Published April 25, 2018 at 9:54 pm
Peel Regional Police officers have been cleared in the death of a 45-year-old man after administering an anti-overdose drug in Mississauga.
“Our preliminary inquiries determined that the officers’ contact with the man consisted solely of attempting to save his life and their actions in no way contributed to his death,” said Special Investigations Unit director Tony Loparco in a decision released April 25.
“Accordingly, I have terminated this investigation.”
Officers were dispatched to a medical assistance call on April 5 at 11:30 p.m.
That’s when a call was made to 911 from a storage locker near Derry Rd. E. and Rexwood Dr. reporting a man in medical distress.
The 911 caller said he had administered naloxone and was performing CPR.
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Police arrived minutes later and began CPR on the man, giving him Narcan nasal spray, which works within minutes.
Paramedics later took over treatment.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene at 12:14 a.m. on April 6.
This is the second time Peel police have been cleared by the province’s watchdog after a Naloxone-related death.
A similar incident took place on March 12 in Brampton near McLaughlin Rd. and Queen St. W. at 12:30 a.m.
Officers found the 36-year-old man, who was motionless and not breathing.
Peel paramedics arrived and took over.
Efforts to revive him were unsuccessful, and the man was pronounced dead at 1:11 a.m.
The SIU automatically invoked its mandate, clearing officers exactly a month later.
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.
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