Police negligence in Ontario teen hockey player's death sparks outrage
Photo credit: CTV
Four Ontario police officers found negligent in the investigation of teen hockey player Ben Teague's death in 2019, raising questions about their handling of the case.
Ontario police under scrutiny for mishandling Ben Teague's death investigation
In a recent development, four police officers in Ontario, Canada, have been found negligent by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) for their handling of the tragic death of 17-year-old Ben Teague. Teague, a junior hockey player with the Oakville Rangers, passed away during a team-building event at a YMCA in 2019, leading to intense scrutiny of the police investigation.
The negligence ruling, announced by the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD) in October 2023, highlights significant failings in how the case was managed. The four officers in question�Detective Sergeants Heather Bentham and Kenneth Golding, Detective John Loughry, and Sergeant Robert Worthman�are under fire for their failure to properly interview witnesses. The ongoing investigations into potential disciplinary actions against these officers continue to unfold.
Ben Teague's parents filed a lawsuit in 2022 against the Oakville Rangers, their coaches, the YMCA camp, and the Ontario Minor Hockey Association, seeking justice for their son's death. Despite these efforts, no trial date has been set. In the meantime, the family's complaint to the OIPRD led to the finding of police negligence.
The tragic incident occurred when Teague and some teammates, aged between 16 and 17, began drinking alcohol during their stay at the YMCA camp. In the early hours of the morning, Teague reported severe leg pain to his coaches and was subsequently rushed to Brampton Civic Hospital, where he died two hours later. The cause of death was determined to be acute myocardial injury related to recent alcohol consumption.
The coaches involved have maintained that there was a strict no-alcohol policy and sufficient supervision was provided. They have argued that they adhered to expected standards of care for teenagers.
As the situation evolves, further details about the disciplinary actions for the negligent officers are anticipated, with more information expected to emerge.
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| POLL | ||
8 AOUT | 57 ANSWERS Police negligence in Ontario teen hockey player's death sparks outrage Should the police officers have done more in this case? | ||
| Yes | 45 | 78.9 % |
| No | 12 | 21.1 % |
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