OPP officer cleared in death of man, 62, in police cell in Perth, Ont.

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- The province's police watchdog says there's no evidence a provincial police officer committed a criminal offence in the death of a 62-year-old man in a police cell.

The Special Investigations Unit says the man was arrested on an outstanding warrant for failing to appear in court on April 7 and taken to Perth, Ont., where he was placed in a police cell at around midnight.

The SIU says a civilian guard checked on the man every 15 minutes and at 8:30 a.m. noticed the man was breathing heavily and that he was pale and clammy.

An ambulance was called and the man was taken to hospital and pronounced dead. The cause of death was later determined to be a perforated ulcer.

SIU director Tony Loparco says it's clear the officers did nothing that caused or contributed to the man's death, and it's apparent that the man was kept under close watch while at the police station.

The SIU is an arm's length agency that investigates reports involving police where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.