IIO Concludes Inquiry into an Incident in Mara (2020-269)

INFORMATION BULLETIN
Independent Investigations Office
For Immediate Release

Surrey, B.C. – The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC has concluded an inquiry into an incident in Mara.

On October 28, 2020, it was publicly reported by a media outlet that on August 9, 2017 at approximately 12:40 p.m., a retired member of the RCMP and another currently serving RCMP member were visiting relatives at their home. The article reports that one of the relatives, a man who was also a former RCMP member, took his own life using a firearm while in the presence of a both the current and former RCMP family members.

The IIO has made inquiries to determine the facts of the matter. Independent witnesses confirm that the current RCMP officer was not at the residence at the time the incident occurred. Only the retired former officer was present, and they were in a different area of the home until they located the deceased a short time later. As the IIO’s mandate applies only to currently serving police officers, notification to the IIO was not required in this case.

There has also been speculation that the firearm used in this incident may have been related to the deceased’s former employment as an RCMP officer. The IIO’s inquiry has confirmed that the deceased lawfully owned the firearm used in the incident; it was unrelated to the deceased’s prior employment.

The IIO’s Chief Civilian Director has reviewed the evidence gathered during the inquiry – including independent witness statements, police records and information from the BC Coroners Service – and determined that no further investigation by the IIO is required. The inquiry is therefore concluded.

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.

info@iiobc.ca