Man dies in Winnipeg police custody—family demands answers

Randy Cochrane was taken into police custody on Sunday. On Monday, he was pronounced dead in a hospital.

According to CBC News, Winnipeg police observed the “armed” man near Flora Avenue and Parr Street. He was bleeding.

The officers chased the man on foot and arrested him.

According to Const. Rob Carver, an ambulance was immediately called.

“The individual was agitated at the time of his arrest,” Carver told reporters Monday. “The male became unresponsive. He was transported to a hospital and subsequently pronounced deceased.”

One witness, Will Couture, said he saw a man who looked like Cochrane jump over his backyard fence while shouting for help just before 4 p.m.

“At that time I didn’t know what he was asking for until I saw the cops running behind him saying more or less, ‘Why are you running? What’s wrong with you?” he said.

Couture said that Cochrane was shirtless, had scrapes on the side of his face and shouted “help me, help me” as police chased him across the street.

Cochrane, 30, was of the Fisher River Cree Nation. He was a father of three girls. He was visiting Winnipeg when police arrested him.

The news of his death has sparked immense grief in the family, and questions are being asked.

Monica Murdock, Cochrane’s cousin, said her family was told he had no obvious signs of injury. She said they were told his heart stopped.

“Why did he die in cuffs? Why were they chasing him? Why are they saying he was bloody but the doctors we went and saw at the emergency room last night said that he had no injuries.”

She further stresses that Cochrane’s parents are devastated.

“They’re taking it hard,” said Murdock. “That’s their only baby.”

Now she wants to know what happened.
The Independent Investigation Unit is probing the incident and are looking for witnesses.