The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) says it has wrapped up its investigation of the death of a suspect being chased by Sunshine Coast RCMP on April 9 and concluded that the man’s death was not the result of “action or inaction” on the part of the officers involved.
Sunshine Coast RCMP had responded to a report of a suspected fraud in progress at the TD Bank at the Tsain-ko Centre.
According to an April 16 release from the IIO, “Police arrived and detained a male for investigative purposes. It is reported that the male then ran from police, who gave chase on foot. He was apprehended by police about 500-metres away but went into medical distress at that time.”
IIO investigators found that the man, whose identity has not been released, was given immediate medical attention by police officers and a local doctor and nurse until an ambulance arrived and the man was taken to the nearby Sechelt Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased at 5:20 p.m.
“The IIO determined that officers were acting in the lawful execution of their duty in detaining the male for investigative purposes, but the male ran,” the released said. “All evidence supports that having exerted himself in running away, the male suffered medical distress and died as a result. Officers provided appropriate first aid immediately but were unable to prevent the death… he appears to have died as the result of natural causes.”
The IIO has now closed the file.
