The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) is under investigation after the death of a man they arrested just hours prior.
According to the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO), a man died while in VPD custody on July 16.
Information received by the IIO from the VPD states that, around 4 a.m., officers arrested a man and transported him to the VPD jail, where they arrived at approximately 4:30 a.m.
The IIO notes that the man was taken to a cell but was found to be responsive at around 10 a.m. B.C. Emergency Health Services arrived on the scene, providing aid. The man was then transported to the hospital by ambulance, where he later died.
According to the IIO, there are two primary factors it will consider at the start of the VPD investigation:
- If there has been an injury that meets the threshold of serious harm, as defined by the Police Act, or a death, and
- If there is a connection between the serious harm/death and police action or inaction
“If both conditions are met, the investigation will continue to examine all available evidence to determine what occurred,” the IIO says.
After that, the IIO states that the chief civilian director will determine if there are reasonable grounds to believe that an offence occurred.
The IIO is seeking potential witnesses who have not yet provided a statement or who may have video footage of the incident to contact the Witness Line at 1-855-446-8477. You can also use the form on the IIO’s website.
According to the VPD, the prisoner, a 49-year-old man, became unresponsive after suffering “an apparent medical emergency inside the jail.”
The VPD does not state the specific nature of the man’s injury.
“VPD has informed the Independent Investigations Office of the sudden death and is unable to provide additional information while the IIO’s independent process is taking place,” it added.