Coroner investigates death of Ottawa jail inmate

The coroner is investigating the death of a 48-year-old inmate at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre earlier this week.

An emergency call came from the jail just after midnight on Thursday.

Paramedic spokesperson Marc-Antoine Deschamps said paramedics arrived to find an inmate in cardiac arrest. Jail staff had already begun trying to resuscitating him when paramedics took over.

The man, identified as Jean Veillette, was taken to hospital in critical condition and died soon after, Deschamps said.

The supervising coroner for eastern Ontario, Dr. Louise McNaughton-Filion, said the coroner's office is investigating and an inquest could follow.

"My sympathies go out to the family of the deceased," she said.

Inmate was alone in cell

Sources told CBC the man was alone in a cell in the maximum security wing of the jail at the time.

Ottawa police said the death is not suspicious in nature.

The head of local union respresenting jail officers, Scott Forde, said police temporarily locked down the jail to investigate.

"Staff and the jail population are always affected by an incident like this," Forde added.