Nathaniel Schofield died one year ago while in the custody of Ontario Provincial Police and his mother, Faye Dzikewich, is still fighting for answers. On Thursday, the anniversary of his passing, Dzikewich left a stuffed bear and a sign outside the OPP detachment in Rockwood where her son spent his last hours. “In loving memory of Nathaniel Schofield,” the sign said. “He could’ve been saved! His life mattered. One year ago today. R.I.P.” She ended by thanking firefighters and paramedics in Rockwood. Schofield, 36, was arrested in connection to a domestic violence incident on July 9, 2024. A report from the Special Investigations Unit, released last March, said he became ill while in custody and died the following the morning. An autopsy determined he overdosed on fentanyl and methamphetamines, while cocaine was also found in his system. The morning Schofield died, Dzikewich was sitting in the courthouse waiting for her son’s arrival. She said she waited hours before learning what had happened. Dzikewich does not believe drugs caused his death. She filed a formal complaint with Ontario’s Law Enforcement Complaint Agency (LECA) after investigators with the SIU showed her a video of her son’s last moments. Dzikewich felt the officers responsible for Schofield’s care were “neglectful” and “discreditable.” The SIU cleared the officers and guards of any wrongdoing in their April 2025 report. LECA has not yet made a decision on Dzikewich’s complaint. Reflecting on tragedy Dzikewich, meanwhile, continues to push for answers. “Justice needs to be served,” she wrote to CTV News on Thursday. “The OPP are fully trained in first aid. That, I feel, definitely would’ve saved him.” Schofield, she added, is still “dearly missed” by his six children, loved ones and friends. “He was a very calm, loving father and son, with a smile that lit up a room. I’d like others in similar situations to contact me. I want to keep standing up for justice and changes going forward.” Dzikewich said she will not stop until officials take accountability. “The big blue wall of silence needs to be broken,” she wrote. CTV News reached out to OPP on June 17 for comment on the LECA complaint. They said it would be inappropriate to comment on the matter until a decision was made.
