An investigation into the death Tuesday of Edimar Alves De Araujo now involves the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of Professional Responsibility of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Rhode Island Office of State Medical Examiners, according to a Boston ICE spokeswoman.

State police and the attorney general’s office are conferring on their potential role in the case, their spokespersons said.

Araujo, a 34-year-old Brazilian national, suffered an apparent seizure while detained at the ICE office in Providence, according to Providence Fire Department officials. He was pronounced dead at Rhode Island Hospital shortly thereafter.

Immigration agents had taken Araujo into custody on an outstanding deportation warrant, after Woonsocket police arrested him on a traffic violation at 12:20 p.m. The government issues deportation warrants for people deemed to be in the country illegally.

A lawyer representing Araujo’s family said meanwhile that his office will conduct its own investigation, including “taking appropriate steps to ensure that any communications or documentation is preserved.”

“Any way you look at this case, it represents a tragedy that should have and could have been avoided,” said Providence lawyer Randy Olen. “The family’s position is that the authorities were put on notice that Mr. Araujo required life-sustaining medication and the information was not acted upon, and that the failure to do so may have led to his death.”

Araujo’s death has drawn public outcry from community advocates and family representatives, who stated that Araujo’s illegal status in the country was immaterial to what they called his senseless and tragic death.

Meanwhile, Woonsocket’s police chief adamantly defended his department against allegations by Araujo’s sister, Irene De Araujo, of Woonsocket, that his officers played a role in Araujo’s death. Irene Araujo has said the police ignored her when she tried to tell them that her brother was epileptic and needed anti-seizure medications.

“We did nothing wrong. The Police Department did nothing wrong,” said Police Chief Michael L.A. Houle, who conducted his own in-house investigation. “At no time did this department deny or fail to provide any assistance, medical or otherwise, to this individual.

“This Police Department made a routine arrest for a simple traffic violation and subsequently transferred an individual who was in custody to another requesting agency without incident,” said Houle.

Houle furnished police witness statements to The Journal yesterday, including a timeline established through the department’s surveillance and security video. Those videotapes were reviewed by Capt. Michael R. Lemoine.

According to the videotapes and officers’ statements:

• 1:05 p.m. Araujo first appeared on camera in the processing area. He exited the processing area at 1:10 p.m.

• 2:16 p.m. A woman later identified as Irene Araujo spoke in the lobby with Patrolman Omer D. Boucher, and said “she was waiting for her brother,” according to Boucher’s witness statement.

• 3 p.m. Gary Fernandes — who identified himself as a family representative — entered the front lobby and told Lt. Kenneth Paulhus that Araujo had a medical condition “and may need insulin.” (Paulhus is the officer who arrested Araujo on the traffic violation).

Paulhus told Fernandes that Araujo was being transferred to Providence by immigration officials. After Fernandes left, “I immediately called ICE from my office phone and notified a female who answered the phone of this information,” Paulhus’ statement says.

“I received a call back from ICE approximately thirty minutes later,” Paulhus wrote. “The caller asked if we had any medical problems with Mr. Araujo. I told the caller we did not, and informed them that I had called earlier about the possible medical problem. The caller stated that Araujo had become stricken in their custody.”

• 3:28 p.m. Irene Araujo returned to the lobby. According to Boucher’s statement, she told him “that her brother had seizures and took medication for the condition,” and Boucher replied “that her brother was being transported by Immigration to their facilities in Providence … and if he had medication at home for any medical conditions, she could inform ICE and take any medications he needed to their office in Providence.”

A review of the videotape “clearly shows that Mr. De Araujo was alert and showing no obvious signs of distress.”

The statement of Sgt. Philip R. Kamer Jr. notes that on Wednesday at 1 p.m., three of Araujo’s family members came to the station “to speak with someone about what happened yesterday.” Kamer and another sergeant spoke with the women, one of whom “was extremely emotional and immediately left the office.”

“I explained that Edmiar (sic) did not die while in our custody and that she would have to contact ICE directly for information, since we do not know what happened. Sgt. [Todd] Boisvert called the medical examiner’s office for Irene to check what arrangements she needs to make.” Boisvert also obtained a number for the immigration agent who transported Araujo, “so she could ask them any questions she might have.”

Meanwhile The Journal yesterday posed a series of questions to immigration officials in Boston, concerning what transpired while Araujo was in ICE custody.

ICE spokeswoman Paula Grenier said on Wednesday that Araujo began showing “physical signs of distress” after he arrived for processing at the Dyer Street site. Agents called 9-1-1 immediately, she said, and performed first aid until emergency medical technicians arrived and took Araujo to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:18 p.m.

The series of questions included whether protocol was followed during Araujo’s transfer from Woonsocket to Providence; and whether Araujo could be seen or heard by the agent who drove him to Providence.

They also asked what were the outward “physical signs of distress” when Araujo suffered what EMTs described as an apparent seizure; whether Araujo was shackled, and/or remained shackled after being stricken, and whether he suffered any injuries as a result of a fall or other complication from that apparent seizure.

Grenier said that by policy, “detainees are transferred from one jurisdiction to another in a safe and humane manner, under supervision of trained and experienced personnel.” To nearly all of the questions, Grenier replied, “I don’t have any releasable information as this matter is under investigation.” Grenier added, “When more releasable information is available, I will be more than happy to provide it.”

kziner@projo.com