BC’s police watchdog says there was no wrong doing from the Kamloops RCMP in the death of 49 year old Randy Lampreau.
Lampreau was arrested for public intoxication on March 12, 2019, and was later found dead inside his cell at the detachment. Chief Civilian Director Ron MacDonald says there were regular checks by jail guards, about every 15 minutes. “At the end of the evening the guard determined that he didn’t appear normal at which point he got a police officer went into the cell at which point it was noted that the individual was suffering and paramedics were immediately called. Unfortunately he died shortly thereafter.”
The cause of death was determined to be inflammation of the heart, and the Coroner says methamphetamine toxicity was also reported as a significant factor. MacDonald says one of the issues that is always on his mind, and has been raised by Randy’s family, are jail cells the right place to hold intoxicated persons. “I’ve spoken to police agencies who tend to have the same opinion. So, while the police in this case did what was expected of them, as a society we may want to consider of that’s actually the way we want to be treating intoxicated persons.”
Lampreau’s family is planning to push for intoxicated persons held in something like a sobering centre as opposed to jail cells. Randy’s siter-in-law Lenora Starr says “finding other ways to deal with people, anybody, who may be picked up off the street in an intoxicated state or otherwise. How to address and keep them safe.”
Randy’s brother Arnie believes jail guards should be more equipped to deal with this type of situation. “Nowadays they have abilities between doctors and dentists and whatever; they take an x-ray here and it’s already over there. That quick. So I don’t know why police don’t have that engagement with medical histories and whatever else.”
Starr is encouraging people to reach out to their local politicians to help influence change and hopefully in the future, when people are picked up, they can be treated somewhere that is designed to treat them.
