The family of a Sudbury man, Andrew Martin, has filed a civil claim against the Greater Sudbury Police Service in relation to Andrew’s death in December 2020.
Andrew drowned in Lake Nepahwin after falling through the ice. Andrew struggled with mental health issues and his family had reported him missing. The lawsuit was filed after details emerged of four separate 911 calls made on December 11, 2020 by concerned individuals informing dispatch of a man, now know to be Andrew, struggling on foot across the unstable surface of Lake Nepahwin and falling through the ice. The claim alleges that the police failed to respond to the 911 calls promptly on an emergency basis. Andrew’s body was discovered in the lake four months later. The family believes Andrew could have been saved had police responded properly to the 911 calls. The family also calls attention to the way missing persons investigations are handled.
Andrew’s family hopes that his case will lead to change in their community.
Read more in the Sudbury Star here.