No alcohol in blood of suspected drunk driver who died after leaving police custody, widow says

There was no alcohol in the blood of Colin Grey when he died after being released from police custody on impaired driving charges, according to his widow Rose Grey.

The family's lawyer has formally made a request for a coroner's inquest into Grey's death. They're seeking to make public the circumstances that led up to his death and prevent this from happening again.

"It's not easy because every day, I'm trying to move on and trying to [get back into] my routine, but it's not easy," said Rose, holding back tears. "I don't have my best friend anymore to call. He called me at least seven times in a day asking how I'm doing and I don't have that anymore."

Colin, 63, was coming back into Canada using the Ambassador Bridge in the early morning hours of Nov. 29.

CBSA officers suspected impaired driving and asked Colin to perform a breathalyzer test.

His son Christian, who was with him in the car, said his father was unable to physically blow hard enough to complete the test.

"It was rough," Christian said about the experience his father had with police.

'They denied him a basic right'

Since the beginning, his family maintained Colin was not drunk and did not drink alcohol. They say police misunderstood the symptoms of Colin's Type 2 diabetes and diabetic neuropathy in his feet.

"My brother didn't drink. My brother wasn't a drunk," said Colin's brother Derek Grey. "My brother told these people 'I'm a diabetic.' The minute he said those words, they should have called medical. They denied him a basic right."

The family's lawyer, Joel Dick, said Colin was never provided medical attention during his more than five hours in custody.

A CBSA spokesperson previously told CBC News that officers followed all internal protocols, including asking individuals if they have any medical conditions, when they ate their last meal and checking on them every 15 minutes in a detention cell.

"Frankly, we don't know if the policies are deficient or if the policies weren't followed," said Dick. "The only way, the best way, to get to the bottom of all of these questions and to make sure this never happens to another family is to have a coroner's inquest."

The coroner's death investigation isn't officially complete, but Rose said someone in the office called to let her know last week there was no alcohol found in his blood.

The Office of the Chief Coroner tells CBC News that a decision on an inquest request cannot be made until the death investigation is finished, which can take six to nine months.

Colin was eventually transferred to Windsor police custody. He was released the same day after being held for more than five hours between both law enforcement agencies.

Dick said Windsor police charged him with failing to provide a breath sample and driving while impaired.

Moments after being released, Windsor police said he went into medical distress right outside of police headquarters and later died.

A Windsor police spokesperson previously couldn't say if officers were told about Colin's medical information, if he was provided medical care or offered anything to eat or drink while in custody.