Authorities are investigating the death of a man in custody, after he was arrested by police in the eastern Perth suburb of Midland.
The 35-year-old was arrested on Thursday afternoon for allegedly breaching his bail conditions.
In a statement sent to media, police said the man had been assessed by a nurse at the Perth Watch House, but was taken to Royal Perth Hospital after his behaviour changed last night.
They said he suffered a medical episode prior to being admitted and could not be revived in the emergency department.
His death was not being treated as suspicious, police said.
A report will be prepared for the coroner, and a minute-by-minute timeline of events will be established as part of the investigation.
The ‘horrific tip of the iceberg
Human rights advocate Gerry Georgatos — who is part of the post-custody wellbeing service that works with the Perth Watch House — said the tragedy highlighted the need for more resources and a better facility to treat people in custody who were affected by drug and other health problems.
While making no suggestion of police wrongdoing in this instance, he said police should not be forced to make health assessments, and more health professionals were needed in the watch house.
Gerry Georgatos says police could not and should not be expected to be making decisions about the health and welfare of people in custody. (ABC News: Jake Sturmer)
“Police should not be in the predicament of making health and welfare judgements,” Mr Georgatos said.
“He needed to be in a special secure circumstance facility, where there’s expert health supervision and security for this individual to be treated and screened.
“That doesn’t exist in the Police Watch House.
“Just barren, dank watch houses without expert supervision health wise [are] setting up a guarantee that we will have people coming out worse than what they went in, falling ill unnecessarily and not being treated, and the worst case scenario a death in custody which is the horrific tip of the iceberg.”
Mr Georgatos said his heart went out to the family and community.
“And my heart will always see this person as somebody who could’ve been helped, had we set up the practices and the institutions and the people to support him,” he said.
Mr Georgatos said the man turned down an offer of assistance from the Custody Notification Service, a program put in place to help prevent deaths in custody.
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