Inmate dies after being found unconscious in holding cell

Halifax Regional Police say there will be a full-scale, independent investigation after an inmate died after being in police custody.

Constable Brian Palmeter says 47 year-old George Joseph Richards of Dartmouth died Wednesday morning in hospital.  He was taken to hospital after officers found him unresponsive in his cell early Tuesday morning.

Palmeter says it appears the man may have had a pre-existing condition.

"When he originally arrived at our facility and placed into a cell there was a medical concern raised to our staff and that resulted in him attending the hospital to be checked," he says. "That occurred and he was cleared back into our custody just after 6:30 p.m. and he was placed back in his cell."

Palmeter says all procedures were followed properly.  "The cell areas are checked every 15 minutes and that was the case on the night in question," he says, "There were no concerns raised in the previous checks."

Richard was found unconscious during a cell check around 2:30 Tuesday morning.

Palmeter says it doesn't appear there is anything suspicious about this death, however, in the interest of full disclosure and transparency, there will be a full investigation done by the Cape Breton Regional Police.