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Independent Investigations Office looking into death of man in police custody in Campbell River

Officers provided first aid until Emergency Health Services arrived and took over: RCMP
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Campbell River RCMP Detachment. Photo by Sean Feagan/Campbell River Mirror.

The BC RCMP has notified the Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia (IIO BC) of an incident in Campbell River where one man has died.

On June 23, at approximately 10:45 a.m. Campbell River RCMP arrested a man for breach of probation and was held in custody at the Campbell River RCMP detachment, according to a press release from Dawn Roberts, director, BC RCMP Communication Services.

At 11 p.m., an on-duty guard found the man unresponsive and in medical distress. Officers provided first aid until Emergency Health Services arrived and took over. He was transported to hospital but later died.

The IIO BC has been notified and will be investigating the incident in an effort to determine whether police actions contributed to his death. As the matter is now under investigation by the IIO BC, no further information will be released by police.

This is the fifth time since June 16, 2021 that the IIO has been called in to investigate an incident in Campbell River. The most recent was the shooting death of two men at the government dock in Discovery Harbour June 13, 2022. It’s the eighth IIO investigation since March 7, 2020.

RELATED: IIO BC investigating police shooting in Campbell River

The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of British Columbia is a civilian-led police oversight agency responsible for conducting investigations into incidents of death or serious harm that may have been the result of the actions or inactions of a police officer, whether on or off duty.

All aspects and circumstances of this incident will be the subject of independent investigation by the IIO BC. For more information about the IIO BC, visit its website at www.iiobc.ca.

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