IIO is Investigating a November 2022 Death in Vancouver (2023-028)
Case: 2023-028 Incident Date: November 14, 2022 Agency: Municipal Location: Vancouver Detachment: Vancouver Police Department Incident Classification: Death Case Status: Closed - Without Public ReportINFORMATION BULLETIN
Independent Investigations Office
For Immediate Release
Surrey, B.C. — The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC is investigating the death of a man in Vancouver.
Information provided by the RCMP states that at about 10:00 a.m. on November 14, 2022, police responded to a request for assistance at a student residence at UBC. A male student was found to be in medical distress, and officers provided medical assistance until Emergency Health Services arrived. The man was transported to a local hospital, where he subsequently died November 20, 2022.
On February 3, 2023, the RCMP became aware that two 911 calls were made from the deceased’s phone prior to 10:00 a.m. on November 14, 2022. It is reported that there was no audio heard on either call. It was also alleged that there were missed return calls on the deceased’s phone before 10:00 a.m. from a number that displayed as Vancouver Police.
The IIO was notified of these calls on February 6, 2023 and has commenced an investigation. Initial investigative steps will seek to determine if police were notified of the 911 calls prior to 10:00 a.m., and what role, if any, police actions or inaction may have played in the death.
The IIO is asking any person with relevant information or video footage of the incident to please contact the Witness Line toll-free at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.
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.