New police force should be appointed to take over investigation into death of teenaged hockey player, complaint says
An Oakville, Ont. couple has filed a request with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) to appoint a new police force to investigate the death of their 17-year-old son Benjamin who died during a hockey team-bonding event in September 2019.
Greg and Susan Teague allege in their complaint filed with the director on March 14 that the York Regional Police have failed to properly investigate Benjamin’s death. York Regional Police opened an investigation the day Benjamin died and the police service says its investigation remains active.
"York Regional Police have not conducted a proper investigation into the sudden death of our 17-year-old son Benjamin Teague," their complaint says. "They have been dismissive, rude, biased, unavailable, and willfully blind to the facts of this case. We believe that the way they have conducted themselves has obstructed the coroner and at every turn has made an actual investigation into our son’s sudden death next to impossible."
The OIPRD declined W5's request for comment.
The Toronto-based agency deals with most complaints against police in Ontario, including those that do not merit an SIU investigation. In 2021, it published 17 hearing decisions in cases with or without penalties.
- How did a healthy teen die at a minor hockey camp?
- Parents of young player who died struggle to find answers within hockey's code of silence
- Sign up for The Informant for insider-only information on W5 investigations
Before the Teagues filed their complaint with the OIPRD, the York Regional Police provided W5 with a statement about their investigation into Benjamin’s death.
“Our officers have worked diligently throughout this lengthy investigation in conjunction with the Coroner’s Office,” York Regional Police said. “While this case remains open, our investigators have not found any evidence to suggest foul play or any criminality in this incident. Therefore, this matter continues to be a death investigation and not a homicide investigation.”
York Regional Police have not responded to a subsequent request for comment on the Teague’s request for a new police service to be assigned to their son’s death investigation.
Supplied photo of Ben Teague playing for the Oakville Rangers Hockey Club.
Benjamin died following an overnight team-bonding event in September 2019 where coaches allegedly did not stop underage players from consuming alcohol and failed to take the matter seriously when a player said he was in severe distress.
A posthumous toxicology report concluded that Benjamin had the drug gamma-hydroxybutyrate, or GHB, in his system at the time of his death. The colourless, tasteless, odorless chemical, which is also known as a date-rape drug, can cause hallucinations and euphoria. When mixed with alcohol, it can be lethal even in small doses, Dr. Lewis Nelson, the Director of Medical Toxicology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School told W5 in an interview.
The Teague’s allege in a lawsuit filed Jan. 26, 2022 in Ontario Superior Court in Kitchener that the negligence of coaches with the Oakville Rangers Midget AA Red team during a September 2019 team event at a YMCA camp near Schomburg, Ont., contributed to the death of their son Benjamin.
Susan and Greg Teague have been searching for answers since their 17-year-old son Ben died while at a team retreat in 2019 (W5)
The Ontario Minor Hockey Association, the Oakville Rangers Hockey Club, and coaches Mark Moro, Ted Blacker, Ian Blacker and Alex Susi are named as defendants in the lawsuit.
The OMHA and Rangers are named as defendants for allegedly failing to properly instruct the coaches on the importance of maintaining an alcohol-free event and having a safety and emergency plan. The OMHA and Rangers “have inexplicably permitted the coaches to continue in their roles” following Teague’s death, the lawsuit said.
The defendants allege in their statement of defence that the Rangers have a zero-tolerance policy for drugs and alcohol and that coaches didn’t know any of the players were consuming alcohol or drugs.
Moro and Susi emailed identical statements to W5 denying any allegation of wrongdoing.
“All team activities were properly supervised by the coaching staff,” the statements said. “The coaches had no knowledge of any activities in which our players were involved after curfew… At all times, the club and coaches required compliance with all team policies and codes of conduct, which included zero tolerance of drugs or alcohol at any team activities.”
In their complaint to the OIPRD, the Teagues allege that when York Regional Police officers arrived at the YMCA camp after Benjamin was taken to hospital in an ambulance, they didn’t speak to any of the 13 hockey players who had been with Benjamin overnight.
York Police went to the Teague home in Oakville within ten minutes of the parents returning home after Ben died, the family said in their complaint. They said that while Police promised to return within days to discuss their investigation findings, they didn’t return to speak with them until July 2020.
The family also alleges it has taken York Regional Police many weeks to respond to both their phone calls and to the coroner who has investigated Benjamin’s death.
The family says that when they finally obtained a copy of a police report in April 2021, the report was full of mistaken medical facts, and erroneous statements attributed to the Teague’s.
The original detective investigating Ben’s death was removed from the case in November 2019 with no explanation, the Teagues said, adding that the coronor’s office was still not aware in January 2021 that the original investigating officer was no longer working on the case.
The Teagues also say that even though they have repeatedly offered to give York police Benjamin’s cell phone because they say it might have evidence including photos or video, police for nearly four years have not agreed to take possession of the phone and try to bypass its security lock.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.
Local Spotlight
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Wilfrid Laurier football player drafted despite only playing 27 games in his entire life
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.
Toronto-area dessert shop featured by Keith Lee forced to move after zoning complaint
A small Ajax dessert shop that recently received a glowing review from celebrity food critic Keith Lee is being forced to move after a zoning complaint was made following the social media influencer’s visit last month.
'Oh Crap!' New exhibit at Canada Science and Technology Museum explores human waste
The Canada Science and Technology Museum is inviting visitors to explore their poop. A new exhibition opens at the Ottawa museum on Friday called, 'Oh Crap! Rethinking human waste.'
Regina police hope new biometric monitoring system will save lives in detention facility
The Regina Police Service says it is the first in Saskatchewan and possibly Canada to implement new technology in its detention facility that will offer real-time monitoring of detainees’ vital health metrics.
Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors bet on who will win Round 2 of the playoffs. Here's what's at stake
The stakes have been set for a bet between Vancouver and Edmonton's mayors on who will win Round 2 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
'No other life taken': Mother leads ATV helmet drive to honour daughter's legacy
A grieving mother is hosting a helmet drive in the hopes of protecting children on Manitoba First Nations from a similar tragedy that killed her daughter.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
P.E.I. lighthouse, N.B. river spotlighted in Canada Post series
A P.E.I. lighthouse and a New Brunswick river are being honoured in a Canada Post series.