Man dies in custody after struggle with Calgary police

Officials are investigating after a manarrested following an incident at a southeast Calgary hotel later died in police custody.

Officers were called to the Carriage House Hotel and Conference Centre on Macleod Trail just before 1 a.m. for reports of a man causing a disturbance and refusing to leave, police said in a release.

Police said the man was in the front lobby acting erratically and not cooperating with officers as they tried to de-escalate the situation.

"A struggle ensued, resulting in one officer deploying a Taser. The man continued to be combative with officers, resulting in one officer deploying OC (pepper) spray," the release said.

Shortly after the man was arrested and taken into custody, he went into medical distress, police said.

Emergency medical crews tried to save him, but he died at the scene.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is now handling the investigation and no further details will be released while that is ongoing.