There is new information about a man who died after being in police custody in Prince Albert. He was 44 year old Billy Ballantyne of the Little Red River First Nation. He is survived by a wife and three children, a seven year old boy and girl who are twins and a five year old boy.
In the past year Ballantyne was diagnosed with both AIDS and tuberculosis. His widow says he was taken to hospital that morning by ambulance because he had been very sick for three days. The hospital called police who say Ballantyne appeared to be intoxicated. His wife disputes that claim and says her husband was just weak and disoriented because he was so sick.
She says in the days since her husband’s death she has heard very little from police or the Prince Albert Parkland Health Region.
“I want questions. I want to know why they took him to the station when he was having chest pains. Why didn’t they take him back in and lay him on a bed?”
It could be sometime before she has answers to those questions. The coroner has told her it could take up to two months to determine a cause of death. A full Coroner’s Inquest will take place ay some point but the Ministry of Policing and Corrections has ruled out an inquiry on their part.
In the meantime Cynthia Ballantyne is left wanting more information on how and why her husband died.
