IIO is Investigating an Incident in Merritt (2020-300)
Case: 2020-300 Incident Date: December 5, 2020 Detachment: Merritt Location: Merritt Agency: RCMP 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 an incident in Merritt.
Information provided by the RCMP indicates that on December 5, 2020 at approximately 4:40 p.m., officers inside the Merritt RCMP detachment reportedly heard gun shots outside and went to determine the source. Police state they saw an armed man nearby and took cover.
The man was found dead a short time later.
The IIO will investigate to determine what role, if any, police may have played in the death.
The IIO is asking any person who saw, heard or recorded the incident to contact the IIO 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.