2 RCMP officers charged after N.W.T. man died in police custody in 2025

The RCMP has charged two officers from the Northwest Territories after a man named Lawrence Blackduck died in their custody in March 2025. The officers, who responded to a disturbance report, detained Blackduck, who was showing signs of intoxication, inside a police vehicle while they gathered more information. When they returned to the car, Blackduck was unresponsive and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Alberta RCMP, which led the investigation, charges the officers with criminal negligence causing death and failing to provide the necessities of life. The incident has led to changes in police policy and training regarding in-vehicle detentions. Chief Superintendent Dyson Smith of the Northwest Territories RCMP expressed condolences to Blackduck's family and community, stating that the incident was "deeply troubling."

Brief written by urgent.news from Winnipeg Free Press's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.