An eyewitness has come forward in the beating death of a Canadian resident killed in Grenada this week, saying the victim was tied up, then beaten by about five officers.

Oscar Bartholomew, a 39-year-old permanent resident of Canada who was visiting family in Grenada with his Canadian wife, died in hospital this week.

His death came one day after an altercation with police on Boxing Day, during which he was allegedly beaten by officers after he hugged a female officer he mistook for a childhood friend.

Derick Sylvester, the lawyer representing Batholomew's family, told CP24 a new witness has now come forward with details about what took place.

Sylvester said the witness gave a statement to police Friday, and will attempt to identify the officers involved.

On Thursday, Grenada's Police Commissioner Willan Thompson said the beating death is an isolated incident, and not a symptom of a broader problem.

Thompson said Thursday two officers have been detained and are being questioned in regards to the incident, but had not been charged.

"Let me assure everyone that this matter is being investigated in a most professional manner," Thompson said.

"I want to assure the nation that this is an isolated event."

The officers have not been identified.

Thompson said other officers working at the St. David's police station at the time Bartholomew was killed have been reassigned to other responsibilities.

Bartholomew, who lived in Toronto with his wife, was described as a loving and affectionate person by relatives.

Bartholomew's family said he had stopped at a police station in St. David's on Monday so that his wife could use the washroom. According to accounts he thought he recognized a female officer and gave her a hug from behind, lifting her off the ground, before realizing his mistake.

He was then beaten, allegedly by police, and died from his injuries the following day.

An autopsy report showed that Bartholomew died from a fractured skull, brain trauma, internal cranial bleeding and a brain hemorrhage, Sylvester said.

Sylvester and the family are pressing for a second examination. He said the family does not dispute the findings of the first autopsy, but wants a physician to look at more than just the head injuries Bartholomew suffered.

Although Bartholomew was not a Canadian citizen, officials from Foreign Affairs in Ottawa said they are offering the same services they would to a citizen, since Bartholomew's wife is Canadian.

However, it is unlikely they will help hire a doctor or interfere with Grenada's investigation.

Prime Minister Tillman Thomas has ordered a probe into the death of Bartholomew, but Sylvester said he and the family aren't confident in the ability of the police to investigate themselves.

"There is something in this matter that demands, that cries out for a clear and precise investigation," Sylvester said.

He added: "Justice is all about perception, you can't have the cat watching the cheese."