Prince Albert police officer charged with negligence causing death of man in police custody
CBC News | Posted: July 12, 2023 4:21 PM | Last Updated: July 12, 2023
33-year-old Saul Laliberte died in police custody in 2021
A Prince Albert Police Service (PAPS) officer with 21 years on the force has been charged with criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessities of life in relation to the in-custody death of 33-year-old Saul Laliberte.
PAPS has not released the name of the accused officer.
Laliberte was taken to the PAPS detention area on Nov. 7, 2021, at about 3 p.m. CST, according to a PAPS news release. He was found unresponsive in his cell at 7:30 p.m. CST and transported to a local hospital, where he was declared dead, police say.
Laliberte's death was the third in-custody death in Prince Albert in the course of a month.
The Saskatoon Police Service was brought in to investigate Laliberte's death and notified PAPS in June 2023 that the officer was being charged.
PAPS says the officer has been relieved of duty. He has a court date scheduled for July 25 at Prince Albert Provincial Court.
"We want to assure the public that we take every matter seriously, and while today's announcement may raise concerns, we are committed to upholding the integrity of the court process," said interim Police Chief Patrick Nogier in the news release.
"It is important for us to respect this process while simultaneously supporting our members and thoroughly reviewing our internal policies and protocols."
Corrections:- A previous version of this story stated that the accused officer is 21 years old. In fact, he has been an officer with PAPS for 21 years. July 12, 2023 4:37 PM