IIO investigating after target of Kelowna shooting dies during police incident

Aug 6 2021, 4:47 pm

BC’s police watchdog is investigating after one of the men targeted in a shooting in Kelowna last weekend died during an incident involving the RCMP.

The RCMP said officers were called to a campground near Enderby around 12 am on August 5 for reports that a male suspect had stabbed two women.

According to police, the man was “acting erratically due to possible drug impairment.”

Multiple officers, including members of the Southeast District Emergency Response Team, responded to the scene and began to search for the suspect with the help of a police dog.

Officers located the man down an embankment near a river around 2 am. Police said he was in medical distress due to apparent self-inflicted injuries.

Police provided medical attention until Emergency Health Services arrived. Despite their efforts, he died at the scene.

The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC has launched an investigation into the incident and will determine if police actions played a role in the man’s death.

The RCMP confirmed that the man was one of two individuals targeted in a shooting in Kelowna on July 31 and was the subject of a public warning that followed.

On August 1, police said one of the victims, 37-year-old Kyle Gianis, was “a threat” to the public because of his ties to criminal activity.

The IIO is a civilian-led police oversight agency that investigates all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death.

The RCMP said that the IIO would investigate “all aspects and circumstances” of the incident.

Zoe DemarcoZoe Demarco

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