Suspected inmate overdose, assault on officer at Edmonton Remand Centre

An inmate is in serious condition in hospital after a suspected overdose at the Edmonton Remand Centre on Tuesday, and a correctional officer was assaulted the same day in an unrelated incident.

Staff doing rounds found the inmate unresponsive in his cell on Tuesday morning, a spokesperson from Alberta Justice and Solicitor General said in an email. When the inmate could not be revived, onsite medical staff began to administer emergency first aid, including naloxone, which can reverse opioid overdoses.

The man was taken to hospital for more treatment. He remains in serious condition. No staff were injured in this incident and an internal investigation is underway.

That evening, an inmate assaulted a correctional officer. The assault happened when the officer was doing a "pat down" of the inmate during a routine security inspection of the inmate's cell, Alberta Justice said.

The officer was sent to hospital as a precaution while the inmate was assessed onsite.

Neither the officer nor the inmate suffered serious injuries.

Two inmates at the Edmonton Remand Centre were hospitalized in November due to suspected drug overdoses. One of them died.