The province's police watchdog says there are no grounds to charge a London police officer in the death of Aaron Ferkranus.
The 26-year-old died in hospital following an altercation outside of the Thorny Devil on Talbot St.
The Special Investigations Unit says their probe states that Ferkranus and another man got into a fight outside the bar in the early morning hours of Feburary 14, 2015.
According to the SIU and police reports, Ferkranus hit and seriously injured the other man before security guards intervened, pinning Ferkranus to the ground until police arrived. They say Ferkranus struggled hard to free himself while he was on the ground, causing security guards "to respond with several knee strikes to Mr. Ferkranus' legs."
When the officer arrived Ferkranus was placed under arrest for assault, but police had trouble lifting him from the ground. It was then that officers realized the suspect was having trouble breathing. He was placed in the recovery position and an ambulance was called.
Ferkranus died in hospital the next day. A cause of death has not yet been determined.
An autopsy was done on February 16, but it was inconclusive and more detailed exams are ongoing.
Acting director of the SIU says Ferkranus was only in police custody of a total of eight minutes. During that time, the officer felt for a pulse and called an ambulance.
When Ferkranus died, many took to social media to express concern over how the bar's staff handled the incident. They believe Ferkranus was targeted and treated poorly because of his race.
The owner of the Thorny Devil told BlackburnNews.com then that video footage would show his staff acted accordingly.
No charges have been laid.
