Oakville, Ontario.The couple filed a request with the independent police review director’s office (OIPRD) appoints new police to investigate the death of his 17-year-old son Benjamin, who died during a hockey team unity event in September 2019.
Greg and Susan Teague allege, in a complaint filed with the Superintendent on March 14, that York Local Police failed to properly investigate Benjamin’s death. An investigation has been launched and police say the investigation is ongoing.
“The New York Police Department failed to adequately investigate the sudden death of their 17-year-old son, Benjamin Teague,” their complaint states. “They were disrespectful, rude, prejudiced, unavailable, and willfully blind to the facts of this case. I believe that every time I do an actual investigation into the sudden death of my second son. Impossible.”
OIPRD declined W5’s request for comment.
The Toronto-based agency handles most complaints against Ontario police, including those that do not merit SIU investigation. In 2021, we have published 17 trial decisions, with or without penalties.
Before the Teagues filed a complaint with OIPRD, Yorkshire Police provided W5 with a statement about the investigation into Benjamin’s death.
“Our officers have worked diligently throughout this lengthy investigation, in collaboration with the coroner’s office,” said York Local Police. Investigators have found no evidence to suggest foul play or crime in this case, so this remains a death investigation, not a homicide investigation.”
Yorkshire Police did not respond to subsequent requests for comment on Teague’s request to assign a new police force to investigate his son’s death.
A supplied photo of Ben Teague playing for the Oakville Rangers Hockey Club.
Benjamin died after an overnight team-bonding event in September 2019. At the event, the coach allegedly did not stop underage alcohol consumption and he did not take the issue seriously when he said the player was in serious distress.
A postmortem toxicology report concluded that Benjamin had the drug gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) in his body when he died. This colorless, tasteless, and odorless chemical, also known as the date palm narcotic, can cause hallucinations and euphoria. Dr. Lewis Nelson, dean of medical toxicology at the Rutgers New Jersey School of Medicine, told his W5 in an interview.
Teague’s allegations in the lawsuit, filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Kitchener on January 26, 2022, are the claims of the Oakville Rangers Midget AA Red Team during the September 2019 team event at the YMCA camp near Schomburg, Ontario. The coach’s negligence is the death of his son Benjamin.
Susan and Greg Teague have been searching for answers since their 17-year-old son Ben died during a team retreat in 2019 (W5)
The Ontario Minor Hockey Association, Oakville Rangers Hockey Club and coaches Mark Moro, Ted Blacker, Ian Blacker and Alex Susie are named as defendants in the lawsuit.
OMHA and the Rangers are named defendants for allegedly failing to properly instruct coaches about the importance of maintaining alcohol-free events and having safety and emergency plans. “Inexplicably allowed the coach to continue in that role,” the lawsuit said.
Defendants allege that the Rangers had a zero-tolerance policy on drugs and alcohol, and that coaches were unaware that any of their players were consuming alcohol or drugs.
Moro and Susi emailed W5 identical statements denying the allegations of wrongdoing.
“All team activities were properly supervised by the coaching staff,” the statement said. “The coaches had no knowledge of the activities the players were involved in after curfew… Clubs and coaches always required compliance with all team policies and codes of conduct, including zero tolerance for drugs and alcohol in team activities. bottom. “
The Teagues complained to OIPRD that when Yorkshire Police officers arrived at the YMCA camp after Benjamin was taken to hospital by ambulance, they did not speak to any of the 13 hockey players who had been with Benjamin overnight.
After Ben’s death, York police went to Teague’s house in Oakville within 10 minutes of his parents returning home, the family said in a complaint. They said police had promised to return within days to discuss the findings, but did not return to speak until July 2020.
The family also alleges that it took York Local Police weeks to respond to both their calls and the coroner investigating Benjamin’s death.
The family say when they finally got a copy of the police report in April 2021, it was riddled with false medical facts and false statements attributed to Mrs Teague.
The original detective investigating Ben’s death was removed from the case without explanation in November 2019, the Teagues said.
The Teagues also repeatedly offered to give York Police Department Benjamin’s mobile phone because there might be evidence such as photographs and videos, but the police did not have the mobile phone for about four years. It states that it does not agree to obtain and attempt to circumvent its security. rock.
