Saskatoon

Woman in police custody goes into medical distress, doctors find 'unknown substance' hidden in her body

Police officers had arrested the 31-year-old woman early Wednesday morning on a charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking methamphetamine.

31-year-old woman now in stable condition: Saskatoon police

The Saskatoon Police Service says a woman who was in the service's custody was taken to hospital Wednesday. (Guy Quenneville/CBC)

A woman in Saskatoon police custody was taken to hospital Wednesday after she became verbally unresponsive and was deemed to be in medical distress.

Saskatoon Police's major crime section is now investigating the incident.

Police officers had arrested the 31-year-old woman around 3:30 a.m. Wednesday morning on a charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking methamphetamine, according to a police news release Thursday.

Police say upon arrival at the detention area she was assessed by emergency medical technicians, as required by police policy, before she was taken to a cell.

Regular checks by EMTs, commissionaires and police officers followed over the next four hours.

'Unknown substance' 

At around 7:30 a.m., the woman was found in a verbally unresponsive state and was transported to hospital in medical distress.

Police say hospital staff found a "unknown substance" hidden inside the woman's body. Analysis of the substance is underway.

The woman is in stable condition.