Police watchdog investigating man's death in custody in The Pas

Manitoba's police watchdog is investigating the death of a 54-year-old man who was found unresponsive in his cell, hours after being arrested by RCMP in The Pas.

On Saturday, officers responded to a call of an intoxicated person in The Pas, a town about 600 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg. They arrested a man and lodged him in cells in the RCMP detachment in the town around 7 p.m., the Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba said in a news release.

Early the next morning, officers checked on the man and found him unresponsive. Emergency medical services attended and pronounced the man dead.

The watchdog, which looks into serious incidents involving police in Manitoba, said it has assumed responsibility for the investigation. Since the situation involves a death, a request for a civilian monitor will be made to the Manitoba Police Commission.

Anyone with information or video footage that may assist in the investigation are asked to contact the IIUtoll-free at 1-844-667-6060.