AMHERST, N.S. — The province’s Serious Incident Response Team has cleared Amherst police officers of any wrongdoing in the death of a 71-year-old who passed away soon after being released for their custody.
Arnold Joseph Martin, who identified as AP in SIRT’s written decision, died June 30 at the Cumberland Regional Health Care Centre after being transported from cells at the Amherst Police Department to the hospital when officers noticed his condition was deteriorating.
SIRT was called into investigate by the department on June 29.
The medical examiner determined the cause of death to be a stroke and the manner of death to be natural.
“There is no evidence to indicate that the officers were negligent in discharging their professional duties and responsibilities,” the report, released Sept. 30, said. “Accordingly, there are no grounds to consider any charges against either SO1 or SO2.”
SO1 and S02 refer to the two police officers of the Amherst Police Department.
Martin was found by police on his hands and knees on a Willow Street sidewalk in the early morning hours of June 29. He became physically ill and began to vomit. Police detected a smell of beer emanating from the vomit and took him into custody under the Liquor Control Act.
He was able to answer questions and follow directions and upon being taken to the police department where he continued to “dry heave.” He was unsteady on his feet and confused as to where he lived and with whom.
Police were made aware that he had only recently begun drinking again after having not consumed alcohol for 20 years because of a family tragedy. His wife of 35 years, Joanne, had died in April following a lengthy illness.
Martin was placed in a cell and monitored regularly by a video camera and checked in-person by guards.
Upon noticing what appeared to be discoloured vomit, police contacted EHS and Martin was taken to the hospital at 5:45 a.m. where it was determined he had suffered a stroke.
Blood samples taken at the hospital indicated the presence of alcohol and cannabis THC. Forensic toxicology determined his blood alcohol concentration the time of arrest to be between 68 and 100 mg/100 ml of blood.
The report says a BAC in the range of 50 to 100 mg/100 ml of blood is associated with impairment and individual with this blood alcohol concentration may have decreases in attention, judgment, concentration visual skills and overall loss of fine motor control and co-ordination and have slight speech defects.
The SIRT report said there was no way for the officers to know Martin had suffered a stroke, which would take his life a day later at the hospital.
“(The two officers) only received basic first aid training as part of the requirements needed to become police officers. Neither had any further medical training which would have enabled them to determine, when they dealt with AP, that he was having or had had a stroke,” the report said. “(The officers) dealt with a person who was unsteady on his feet, sometimes confused, vomiting and smelling of beer but unable to answer questions and follow directives. All these observations were consistent (with the officers) belief that the AP was intoxicated.”
In his obituary, Martin was described as an avid boxer in his younger years. He worked for Central Casting for many years, raked blueberries, played guitar, watched Jeopardy or the news, taught his grandkids how to drive, spent time with his dog and with friends at Tim Hortons.
