Eugene's family looking through their photos of him.

By Sam Bennison

Police

Family grieving after man dies shortly after being in police custody

Nov 15, 2024 | 6:24 PM

PRINCE GEORGE—Five children are grieving the loss of their father Eugene Joseph who passed away just days after being taken into RCMP custody. This was after he was detained for intoxication on November 6, 2024. A death that BC’s Police Watchdog the IIO is investigating.

“He was there for you emotionally and physically,” says Jamie Joseph, Eugene’s daughter. “And it sucks that he had to go so early because the little kids that was their hero, too. And seeing him like that just hurt us a lot.”

Eugene’s wife Dawn Agno says that they received a call from the emergency department that told them that Eugene was found on the floor in his cell. After attempts where made to revive him with CPR, Eugene was transported to the hospital. Five days later the family made the difficult decision to let him go on Remembrance Day.

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“I don’t know how my little siblings are going to process this, especially my little brother,” says another daughter, Rachelle Haskell. “He doesn’t know what’s going on yet. He understands it but he hasn’t cried yet. He doesn’t know what’s going on.”

Dawn says that they had been trying to get her husband psychiatric treatment adding that he should have been in the hospital not a jail cell. In addition, she is calling for the RCMP to more closely monitor those they have detained.

Dawn calls her husband’s death a tragedy and hopes more can be done to prevent cases like this in the future.

The RCMP don’t comment on Independent Investigations Office investigations.

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Email: sam.bennison@pattisonmedia.com