The province’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) says it’s looking into the circumstances surrounding the death of a 28-year-old man following time in a Northumberland OPP Detachment cell over the weekend.
According to the SIU, preliminary information so far indicates that on Sunday evening (May 24, 2026,) officers responded to a Cramahe Township address for a welfare check on a man at the request of family.
After arriving on scene, officers reportedly learned the man was wanted in relation to a failure to comply warrant and he was arrested.
“Due to facial injuries the officers observed the man to have, EMS was contacted,” reported the SIU, adding the man was then sent to hospital and later medically cleared and released into police custody.
The SIU timeline so far suggests the man was then transported to an OPP detachment and lodged in a cell – and the following morning, the man went into medical distress.
Paramedics transported the man to hospital again, but he was pronounced deceased, according to the SIU.
Three investigators and one forensic investigator have been assigned the case, and the SIU is urging anyone with information about the probe to reach out to the lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529 or the SIU online.
In a brief release Monday night, Northumberland OPP also confirmed that the SIU had invoked its mandate following what police described as an arrest in Cramahe Township.
Police said officers responded shortly before 7 p.m. to an incident in Cramahe and arrested an individual, who was subsequently transported to the station.
“While in custody, the individual went into medical distress and was transported by ambulance to the hospital, where they were later pronounced deceased,” reads OPP’s release.
OPP said it had notified SIU and with the organization invoking its mandate, OPP isn’t able to provide further information at this time.
Online, the SIU is described as an independent government agency that investigates the conduct of officials – which includes police – that may have resulted in death, serious injury, sexual assault and/or the discharge of a firearm at a person. All investigations are conducted by SIU investigators who are civilians.
Under the Special Investigations Unit Act, the director of SIU considers whether any official has committed a criminal offence in connection with an incident under investigation and publicly reports the results of its investigations.
