RCMP denies medical attention, woman dies

[grumpydigger]

Julianna Cummings and Brent Wittmeier (Edmonton Journal), Edmonton, AB – The family of a woman found dead in a northern Alberta RCMP cell say police were instructed to transport her to a nursing station.

Charlene Danais, 28, was found dead early Sunday in a cell at Assumption RCMP detachment after being arrested for mischief the previous afternoon.

John Talley, Danais’ cousin, said the woman’s parents called police when they discovered she was drinking after taking a number of strong prescription medications, including sleeping pills and antidepressants.

“The parents knew she had taken these prescription pills and wanted RCMP’s assistance to take her to the nursing station,” Talley said.

“Instead of doing so, they took her right to the drunk tank to get her to sleep it off.”

Talley said Danais’ common-law husband also ended up in police custody and attempted to tell police about the medications. Instead, Danais was reportedly given two cups of water.

Police say she was later found unconscious and not breathing. Attempts were made to revive her before paramedics arrived and she was taken to hospital, where she was pronounced dead. An autopsy conducted by the medical examiner could not determine a cause of death, and toxicology reports are pending.

Danais was a “loving” mother of two young children, Talley said.

“She was an outgoing person, really happy, loved life,” Talley said. “Everyone up here in Assumption is taking it pretty hard. You hate to see someone that young die so young over something that could have been prevented.”

A funeral for Danais will likely take place on Friday, Talley said.

RCMP Major Crimes is investigating the incident.

Sgt. Patrick Webb with the RCMP declined to comment on any of the specific allegations made by the family about the arrest and detainment of Danais, citing the ongoing investigation. Nor would he comment about the grounds for Danais’ arrest.

“All that information is what the investigators are looking at,” Webb said, adding that police will look at the woman’s activities in the days and hours before she was taken into custody.

Guards have to check on inmates at least every 15 minutes, Webb said. The Assumption RCMP detachment has six double-occupancy cells and two drunk tanks. The cells have toilet facilities. Generally, one guard would be on duty at any given time.

Webb said surveillance video of the cells will be reviewed.

When someone dies in police custody, the province’s fatality review board automatically reviews the case, said Alberta Justice spokesman David Dear. It is up to the board to decide if a fatality inquiry is warranted. The board will not review the case until toxicology results are released.

A fatality report released in 2010 recommended RCMP officers seek out more information about intoxicated people placed in holding cells.

Arthur Ross Lafrance, 49, died of an overdose of alcohol and a prescription painkiller after he was arrested for causing a disturbance on Oct. 15, 2007. He was visibly intoxicated when he was arrested.

The report recommended questioning friends and family of intoxicated people to determine which drugs, drinks or other substances may have been ingested. People present at the arrest knew what painkillers were taken, but they were never asked.

The report recommended improvements to the RCMP’s prisoner intake system, particularly the form filled out for anyone who enters a holding cell. The judge found the form is not specific enough in questions about possible impairment by alcohol or drugs.

The recommendations were referred to the national policy centre for review. They are not binding and RCMP officials could not confirm what came of the recommendations.

Fatality inquiries aim to ensure that similar cases don’t happen a second time, noted Tom Engel, spokesman with the Criminal Trial Lawyers’ Association.

“It’s obviously failing,” Engel said. “You can have all the policies in the world — but you have to comply with them.”

Although the woman died in custody, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, or ASIRT, is not involved in the investigation, said Roy Fitzpatrick, assistant director of the organization.

ASIRT investigates incidents involving police that result in serious injury or death.

Fitzpatrick said the solicitor general’s office decided ASIRT did not need to be involved with the investigation, leaving it in the hands of the RCMP. Such decisions are based on ASIRT resources and how much work individual organizations have already completed into investigations. It can also depend on the history of the people involved in a particular place.

Assumption is about 880 kilometres northwest of Edmonton.

[grumpydigger]

The RCMP are told that a woman has overdosed on drugs and needs immediate medical attention and they give her a couple glasses of water and look in on her every 15 minutes.


And the who officer denied medical attention , will never be held accountable

What else is new

[Oxl3y]

The RCMP are told that a woman has overdosed on drugs and needs immediate medical attention and they give her a couple glasses of water and look in on her every 15 minutes.


And the who officer denied medical attention , will never be held accountable

What else is new

Speculative, the family only suspected that she may have complications due to the drinking and drug use hardly good enough to release someone that has been ARRESTED. This "loving" mother drank a bunch of booze while popping too many pills and then got herself arrested the only one to blame for her death is herself.

[Bsuds]

Speculative, the family only suspected that she may have complications due to the drinking and drug use hardly good enough to release someone that has been ARRESTED. This "loving" mother drank a bunch of booze while popping too many pills and then got herself arrested the only one to blame for her death is herself.

Did you even read the story? Her parents called the RCMP for help to get her to the Hospital! As well if you are arrested and need medical attention they do not "Release" you to do so.
It sounds like the RCMP made a bad judgment call.

[Oxl3y]

I stand corrected I did read that incorrectly as they called the cops after she was arrested but in the cops defense why is it their job to ferry people to the hospital? Why didn't the parents take her themselves if they were so concerned?? Why didn't they call an ambulance?? I suppose the cops should have dealt with the situation differently but they never should have been involved in the first place.

[goatboy]

It sounds like all we know right now is what the family is saying, which you can't help but thinks probably a bit biased.

You can also count on Grumpys assumption that there will be cover up when he has absolutely no shred of evidence that this will happen.

[grumpydigger]

You're absolutely right, the cover-up to protect their *bleep* Has begun the RCMP has a serious problem with in custody deaths . quite often because of officers ignorance of medical conditions Old case to guide probe of RCMP http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/ ... probe.html


The RCMP watchdog hopes recommendations stemming from an in-custody death in 2007 will aid a current investigation in northwestern Alberta.

The Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP is investigating the death of Charlene Danais, 28, who was found non-responsive in an RCMP detention cell last Sunday.

An investigation into a similar death in 2007 will be important in deciding whether the police did the right thing in Danais's case, commission spokesman Jamie Robertson said.

"That case will be taken, fully taken, into account and that will be part of the overall report that we ultimately put out," he said.

In 2007, Arthur LaFrance died from an overdose of alcohol and prescription drugs in police cells. An inquiry into his death found police didn't ask enough questions, specifically about drugs, on forms that are filled out when people jailed.

Robertson said that in Danais's case, the commission will look at its own recommendations on how police should handle individuals in cells and at commitments police have made in the past.

Sgt. Patrick Webb said the RCMP is still considering the recommendations from the LaFrance inquiry.

"They're under consideration at this time. In other words: How do we look at it, plus whether or not it should be implemented," he said.

Last week, Charlene Danais was found unconscious and not breathing in an RCMP cell in Assumption, about 900 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. She had been arrested on mischief charges at 5 p.m. MT the day before .

An autopsy was unable to determine how she died; the results of toxicology tests are pending.

[WoodWizard]

Maybe it's time to privatize the jails and remand centres so that the Police are no longer held accountable for anything that happens behind bars?

[Mr. Personality]

I stand corrected I did read that incorrectly as they called the cops after she was arrested but in the cops defense why is it their job to ferry people to the hospital? Why didn't the parents take her themselves if they were so concerned?? Why didn't they call an ambulance?? I suppose the cops should have dealt with the situation differently but they never should have been involved in the first place.

I see what you're saying, but it's not good enough.
People panicked and called an emergency number. Sure, it's not the best option, but it's better than nothing and I would expect that, when called, the police would take her to the hospital and not jail.
Of course, the second they took her into custody, she is their responsibility and they basically did nothing. These officers screwed up really bad and I have to say that grumpdigger is probably right that nothing will happen and no one will be held accountable.

Maybe it's time to privatize the jails and remand centres so that the Police are no longer held accountable for anything that happens behind bars?

Until I see otherwise, they pretty much aren't held accountable for anything now.

[WoodWizard]

Maybe it's time to privatize the jails and remand centres so that the Police are no longer held accountable for anything that happens behind bars?

Until I see otherwise, they pretty much aren't held accountable for anything now.

If that was true, why are we having this discussion right now? Who is being held accountable in this topic?

[Mr. Personality]

Being written about on a message board is not accountability.

[WoodWizard]

Being written about on a message board is not accountability.

Are you absolutly positive that is the only thing happening?

[WhatThe]

Being written about on a message board is not accountability.

Are you absolutly positive that is the only thing happening?

No it's not the only thing happening. There is a big push for police accoutability in this province as we lead the country for in custody deaths as I recall.