VICTORIA - A man who Victoria police say was arrested for public intoxication has died in his jail cell.
Police Sgt. Grant Hamilton says the man and two others were arrested without force Saturday night after a concerned citizen told police the trio was passed out on the sidewalk.
"All three of them were booked into our cells and less than half an hour later, one of the males was found in medical distress in our cell area," Hamilton said in an interview.
"Our officers and our jail staff rendered immediate medical first aid. However, it was unsuccessful and the male passed away."
Police have not yet released the 48-year-old man's name. A forensic autopsy is scheduled for later this week.
The two others who were arrested, one male, one female, were taken to hospital as a precaution. Hamilton says they have since been released and are doing fine.
Police aren't yet releasing many details, but Hamilton said the man's lack of response was first noticed during regular cell checks.
"We do regular checks of individuals that are in our custody and jail staff when they checked him out found that he was in distress. And that's when they began the emergency first aid," he said.
When asked what the man's response was when he was first arrested, Hamilton said all three individuals were able to walk on their own.
"They were responsive and alert when they went into cells. Obviously, they were intoxicated, they had been drinking," he said.
The Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit and the BC Coroners Service are investigating.
The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner has also been notified.
