IIO is Investigating an In-Custody Death in Williams Lake (2022-258)
Case: 2022-258 Incident Date: October 1, 2022 Agency: RCMP Location: Williams Lake Detachment: Williams Lake Incident Classification: Death Case Status: Open - Investigation in ProgressINFORMATION BULLETIN
Independent Investigations Office
For Immediate Release
Surrey, B.C. — The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC is investigating the in-custody death of a man in Williams Lake.
Information provided by the RCMP indicates that in the evening on September 30, 2022, police stopped a man and a woman on a 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.
The IIO has commenced an investigation to determine what role, if any, police may have played in the death.
The IIO is asking any person with relevant information about 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.