The provincial government has announced an inquest into the death of a man who died while being transferred from the Elgin Middlesex Detention Centre. Drew Pearson was charged with arson in December 2018, connected to a house fire on Saint Andrew Street. The fire was set to a mattress in a hallway of the building, which housed several apartments and saw some of the residents flee to a roof top, or jump out of second floor windows. The 29-year-old died in hospital on December 27, 2018. Provincial law mandates an inquest when someone dies while in police custody. A Special Investigations Unit (SIU) inquiry into the death that concluded in 2019 indicated that Pearson was arrested at a London men’s shelter on arson charges. A post-mortem examination indicated that Pearson died of sepsis due to or as a consequence of a history of intravenous drug use. The SIU is the Province of Ontario’s police watchdog that is required by law to investigate when a member of the public is injured or killed while interacting with police. Their investigation cleared London police in Pearson’s death. According to a media release, details on when and where the coroner’s inquest will take place will be provided at a later date. - with files from CTV London’s Sean Irvine, CTVNewsLondon.ca Staff
