Police have launched a critical incident investigation following the death of a man being held in custody in a regional police station, in what’s been described as “nothing short of a tragedy.”
Officers were called to the Casino Showground, about 726km north of Sydney, about 11am Sunday to reports of a man having been assaulted.
Police say a 48-year-old man at the scene assaulted an officer before being arrested and taken to Casino Police Station.
While there he fell unconscious, and couldn’t be revived.
Northern Region Commander Assistant Commissioner Peter McKenna spoke on Monday, and said officers at the Casino Police Station became concerned for the man’s welfare as he sat in a holding dock.
“Police removed the man from the dock. During this time, it appears that he became unconscious,” said AC McKenna.
“Despite the best efforts of police and ambulance personnel, that man was deceased in the police station. It is now a death in custody.
“The commander here has gone and seen the next of kin yesterday. Obviously people are upset when they lose a loved one and rightly so.
“It's nothing short of a tragedy in any circumstance when someone loses their life,” said AC McKenna, who also said he didn’t believe the man was Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
The matter will now be the subject of an independent investigation, with a report to also be prepared for the coroner.
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