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York police officers found negligent in death of Ben Teague

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Elliot Ben Jacob
August 8, 2024  (3:06 PM)
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Oakville Rangers hockey player Ben Teague.
Photo credit: CTV News

Seventeen-year-old Ben Teague's tragic death in 2019 and the recent findings of police negligence have shaken the Oakville Rangers community.

In September 2019, 17-year-old Ben Teague joined his Oakville Rangers Midget Double-A hockey team for a weekend team-building exercise at a YMCA centre. Tragically, the weekend ended with Teague's death. York police officers have now been found negligent in their investigation of the incident.

Teague's parents sued the Rangers, coaches, the Ontario Minor Hockey Association, and the YMCA camp in 2022, with the case still pending trial. Just recently, about a year ago in 2023, Teague's parents placed a complaint with the OIRPD, claiming that they did not properly investigate his death.

The OIPRD review, completed in October 2023, has just been made public, revealing that four York Regional Police officers neglected their duties, failing to isolate or interview witnesses.

On the night in question, Teague and his teammates, aged 16 and 17, were drinking. Teague later reported severe leg pain to his coaches, admitting he had consumed alcohol.

"...a call was placed to 911 and Ben was taken by ambulance to Brampton Civic Hospital where he was pronounced dead on Sept. 14, 2019, at 7:07 a.m.

...the cause of Ben's death was determined as acute myocardial injury with necrosis associated with recent alcohol consumption."

The coaches have defended themselves, stating the Oakville Rangers and the league enforce a strict zero-tolerance alcohol policy. They claim that all players, including Teague, were aware of this policy and that they provided reasonable and appropriate supervision.

Detective sergeants Heather Bentham and Kenneth Golding, Det. John Loughry, and Sgt. Robert Worthman were the officers found negligent. Rick Westhead of TSN/CTV reports it's unclear if these officers faced any discipline or if such actions would be publicly disclosed. A third-party independent investigation into the incident and the coaches is also being conducted on behalf of Hockey Canada.

As Read on BladeofSteel - Police found negligent in investigation of death of teenaged hockey player

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York police officers found negligent in death of Ben Teague

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