A man police arrested following a break and enter at a downtown sporting goods store April 12 has now died.
The Independent Investigations Office of BC reported on the weekend it was investigating the case and, at that time, the man had serious injuries.
Information provided to the office by the RCMP indicates that on April 12 at approximately 4:30 a.m., officers responded to an alarm from a sporting goods store in the 1400-block of Third Avenue, which is known to sell firearms and ammunition. When police arrived, the a man attempted to flee but went back into the store; following several hours of negotiations, the man was eventually taken into custody. He was taken to hospital where he was medically assessed and cleared for custody, according to the IIO. Hours later, while in custody, the man went into medical distress and was transported to hospital where he was found to be suffering from a serious injury.
The IIO will investigate to determine what role, if any, the officers’ actions or inaction may have played into the man’s injuries.
The IIO is asking for any person who saw, heard or recorded the incident to contact the IIO Witness Line toll free at 1-855-446-8477.