IIO Appoints Civilian Monitors in Williams Lake Death Investigation (2022-258)
Case: 2022-258 Incident Date: October 1, 2022 Agency: RCMP Detachment: Williams Lake Location: Williams Lake Incident Classification: Death Case Status: Open - Investigation in ProgressINFORMATION BULLETIN
Independent Investigations Office
For Immediate Release
Surrey, B.C. — The Chief Civilian Director (CCD) of the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC has appointed Civilian Monitors to review the IIO’s investigation to date into the death of a man in Williams Lake (IIO 2022-258).
The appointed Monitors have been selected by the Tŝilhqot’in National Government. The appointed individuals will receive unfettered access to all investigative materials, including all evidence and statements collected, and the IIO’s investigative team will provide any assistance requested.
“On behalf of the IIO, I thank the leadership of the Tŝilhqot’in National Government for working in partnership with my office to appoint these monitors. I have said it before: the IIO is committed to earning the trust of Indigenous Peoples and building confidence in police accountability,” stated Chief Civilian Director Ronald J. MacDonald, KC. “The IIO continues to work diligently to recruit an even more diverse workforce to ensure we are representative of the people we serve. In the interim, I look forward to receiving the monitor’s reports and commit to undertaking any additional considerations, evidence, or other avenues of investigation they identify.”
The report of the Civilian Monitors’ will be made publicly available on the IIO’s website when appropriate in keeping with the IIO’s reporting practices.
Incident Summary
Information provided by the RCMP indicates that in the evening on September 30, 2022, police stopped a man and a woman on a small motorcycle (moped). At that time, the man was arrested and taken to the RCMP detachment and lodged in cells around 12:25 a.m. on October 1, 2022.
At about 4:50 a.m., the man was found to be in medical distress. Emergency Health Services were called but despite life-saving measures, the man was subsequently pronounced deceased.
Background
The IIO is the Independent civilian oversight agency of the police in British Columbia. It investigates all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death, whether or not there is any allegation of wrongdoing.