'Hearing that was brutal': Witness speaks out after EMDC inmate dies in custody
A man says he witnessed a violent altercation at the Elgin Middlesex Detention Centre (EMDC) last month, the same night police say a man was taken to hospital and pronounced dead.
Wes Simpson was at the EMDC the night of Sept. 12, in the cell next to the person he believes was the victim taken to hospital that night.
“We heard yelling,” Simpson tells CTV News London in an exclusive interview. “Me and the guy underneath me, we both woke up to it and then there was a big bang.”
He says that “bang” sounded like someone being dragged off the top bunk in the next cell over, and slamming to the ground.
From there, he says it sounded like a fight broke out. At one point, he remembers hearing someone shout, “I’m going to gouge your eyes out and make you eat them.”
“Hearing that was brutal,” says Simpson.
It was after the lights had been turned off for the night, he says, and the commotion ended before any guards came to check on the situation. About 15 to 20 minutes later, Simpson says correctional officers came through for a routine check, only to pull what appeared to be a seriously injured man out of the cell.
“His chest was pretty red, and then his eye,” says Simpson. “He was bleeding from his eye.”
When he got a chance to see the cell next to his, Simpson says there was blood everywhere.
Emergency crews were called, performing chest compressions on the man pulled from the cell before taking him away, Simpson adds.
A London Police Services press release says an unresponsive man was taken to hospital the same night this took place, where he was later pronounced dead.
Simpson believes this to be the same person, someone he briefly got to know in the days leading up to the altercation.
“That guy was just too happy to just throw himself out like that,” he says.
Investigators have not released an official cause of death for the man who died in hospital. In the absence of concrete information, Simpson says he wants to get his experience out there to combat any rumours of what might have happened.
“I don’t believe it was a suicide,” he says.
London police tell CTV News London the incident is part of an active investigation, but they are not offering any further details at this time.
The Ministry of Justice also initiates an investigation whenever an inmate dies in custody. A ministry spokesperson tells CTV News London those take place after any police investigations conclude, take six to nine months to complete, and the findings will not be made public.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Iran fires at suspected Israeli attack drones near Isfahan air base and nuclear site
Iran fired air defences at a major air base and a nuclear site early Friday morning near the central city of Isfahan after spotting drones, which were suspected to be part of an Israeli attack in retaliation for Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
NEW After hearing thousands of last words, this hospital chaplain has advice for the living
In his new book 'As Long as You Need', hospital chaplain J.S. Park opens up about death, grief and hearing thousands of last words.
LeBlanc says he plans to run in next election, under Trudeau's leadership
Cabinet minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to run in the next election as a candidate under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's leadership, amid questions about his rumoured interest in succeeding his longtime friend for the top job.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.