IIO Concludes Investigation into an Incident in Lake Cowichan (2022-315)

Case: 2022-315 Incident Date: November 29, 2022 Location: Lake Cowichan Detachment: North Cowichan/Duncan Agency: RCMP 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 investigation 2022-315 into an incident in Lake Cowichan where one man died.

At about 2:25 p.m. on November 29, 2022, police received a report that a man driving a black Toyota Tacoma was alleged to have committed an armed robbery in Chemainus. Police attempted to stop the Tacoma twice but were unsuccessful. The Tacoma was last seen at about 3:00 p.m. in Duncan.

Two civilian witnesses observed the Tacoma driving at approximately 3:30 p.m. Neither heard any unusual sounds at the time, and neither remained in the area they saw the truck.

At about 4:00 p.m., police located the Tacoma parked on Highway 18 near Lake Cowichan. Officers attempted to elicit a response from the driver but were unsuccessful. When police approached the truck at about 4:45 p.m., it was apparent that the man had suffered a self-inflicted injury and was deceased.

The Chief Civilian Director has reviewed the evidence – including medical information and police records – and determined that police are not responsible for the man’s death.

The IIO investigation is now 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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