Police in Winnipeg say they're still investigating the death of a homeless man in a hospital emergency room, rebutting reports that they've pushed for criminal charges in the case.
A local newspaper reported Wednesday that police are recommending criminal charges against the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre and one of its employees in the death of Brian Sinclair.
Police, however, have countered the Winnipeg Free Press article. In a release issued Wednesday, police said they haven't forwarded any such report to the Crown.
"This investigation has not been concluded and a report has not been forwarded to Manitoba Justice," police said in the release.
Sinclair, 45, is double amputee who died after allegedly waiting 34 hours in the hospital's emergency room in 2008. He died without treatment for his bladder infection.
If criminal charges are laid and the case goes before the courts, it could be an exceptional part of Canada's legal history, the Sinclair family's lawyer told Â鶹´«Ã½ in October 2010.
"The circumstances that happened to Brian Sinclair were unlike anything we've seen and call for an appropriate response," said Vilko Zbogar.
According to the Winnipeg Free Press article, police recommended charges of negligence causing death against a hospital employee and failure to provide the necessities of life against the health centre.
Police said in their statement that they won't comment further as the investigation is ongoing.
