Loved ones of an Edmonton man who died after telling the police that he couldn’t breathe say they see no justice in the Alberta police watchdog’s decision not to recommend charges.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) on Wednesday released its decision in the case of 46-year-old Mazin Zaim, who died in hospital nearly two weeks after being restrained by city police during a mental health crisis.
Zaim was hog-tied during the arrest and stopped breathing after a few minutes. He ultimately died of a shortage of oxygen to the brain, which medical examiners linked to the controversial diagnosis of excited delirium.
Matthew Block, ASIRT’s acting executive director, concluded the officers’ actions were justified under Section 25 of the Criminal Code of Canada.
“The officers