A standing hearing date has been set to learn what, if anything, could have been done to prevent the death of a man who was punched by police nearly two dozen times. On Wednesday, the province sent a release that said a standing hearing into the death of Elias Whitehead, a 37-year-old man from Split Lake, will be held on October 28 in a Winnipeg court room. “An autopsy determined the immediate cause of death was subdual and prone restraint by police officers, complicated by cocaine intoxication and cardiomegaly,” the release said. Emergency services were called on Oct. 15, 2023, for reports of a possibly intoxicated man running in and out of traffic near a gas station in the area of Broadway and Sherbrook Street. The arrest was captured on video by a witness. According to a March 2026 report from the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba, Whitehead was punched nearly two dozen times during the arrest by police officers and kneed several times. The release said that’s when Whitehead became unresponsive and officers began CPR. Whitehead was brought to Health Sciences Centre where he was pronounced deceased. Crown prosecutors ultimately declined recommending charges, saying there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction. However, the IIU issued a recommendation for Winnipeg police to reevaluate their use-of-force policies. Those who wish to speak at the October 28 hearing will need to contact Erika Dolcetti, inquest counsel, at Erika.Dolcetti@gov.mb.ca by October 19. •With files from CTV’s Jeff Keele and Charles Lefebvre, and The Canadian Press
