IIO Concludes Investigation into a Death in Maple Ridge (2021-016)

Case: 2021-016 Incident Date: January 10, 2021 Location: Maple Ridge Agency: RCMP Detachment: Ridge Meadows Incident Classification: Death Case Status: Closed - Without Public Report

INFORMATION BULLETIN
Independent Investigations Office
For Immediate Release

Surrey, B.C. – The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC has concluded an investigation into a death in Maple Ridge.

As detailed in the previous release, on January 10, 2021 at approximately 1:20 a.m., police attended a residence in the 27000-block of Lougheed Highway and arrested a man alleged to have committed an offence. The man was taken into custody without incident and transported to RCMP detachment cells.

Later that day, the man had a judicial hearing and was released from custody at about 3:00 p.m. with specific conditions. As he had made suicidal comments in the recent past, the man was provided contact information for community support services and he indicated he would seek additional support from family and friends. Statements from members of the man’s support network did not indicate any concern surrounding his mental wellness.

The following day (January 11) at about 3:00 p.m., the man was found deceased. Preliminary indications suggest this appears to have been due to a drug overdose. In this case, investigators cannot determine whether this was intentional.

The Chief Civilian Director has reviewed the evidence – including medical information, statements from friends and family, and police records – and determined that police actions or inactions did not play any role in the man’s unfortunate death. Police had no grounds to detain the man after his court appearance and ensured the man had access to community supports. The IIO investigation 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

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