Person dies after police detention in Oulu

A person taken into police custody in the Finnish city of Oulu died on Thursday evening after being found unresponsive following transport to Rusko police station, Yle reports.

The individual was detained in central Oulu under the Police Act, according to a statement from Oulu Police. After being transported, officers discovered the person was unconscious. Attempts at resuscitation failed, and the individual was pronounced dead.

Police have notified the Office of the Prosecutor General, which will investigate the incident alongside the National Bureau of Investigation. A standard inquiry into the cause of death will also be conducted. Oulu Police stated there is currently no suspicion of criminal conduct by officers during the detention.

Antti Räsänen, a legal expert with the police, told Yle that the deceased was not suspected of any crime but had been taken into custody under the Police Act—legislation that allows detention to prevent disturbances or danger, particularly if a person is unable to care for themselves. Räsänen declined to specify why the individual was detained, citing confidentiality tied to the death investigation.

“That information is part of the confidential death investigation. I cannot disclose further details,” Räsänen said. He noted that while such deaths in custody are rare, a few cases occur annually within the Oulu police district.