Inquest jury recommends police should check people's mouths, nose for hidden drugs

A Coroner's Inquest jury has come back with its recommendations after the death of a Saskatoon man in 2016.

Michael Ryan collapsed in his cell after he was arrested by Saskatoon police. A forensic pathologist said Ryan died of a methamphetamine overdose.

Paramedics said they pulled a baggie from Ryan's mouth as they performed CPR. They suspected it contained drugs.

The inquest's jury recommended police should check people's mouth, nose and ears when they are booked into cells.

It also recommended that Saskatoon police and commissionaires restrict their cell phone use to when they are on breaks, and not when they are monitoring prisoners.

It also recommended that commissionaires set timers for cell checks and be better trained to recognize medical emergencies.

Ryan died hours after police arrested him as he wandered in-and-out of traffic on a busy street.