Watchdog deployed after man booked in Vancouver police jail dies

British Columbia’s civilian police watchdog is investigating the death of a man in the Vancouver Police Department’s (VPD) jail.

The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) said police arrested the man around 4 a.m. on Wednesday, and was booked into the VPD jail cells around 4:30 a.m.

The VPD says the 49-year-old prisoner “became unresponsive after suffering an apparent medical emergency” shortly before 10 a.m.

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Paramedics took the man to hospital, where he later died.

The IIO’s mandate is to probe all incidents of serious harm or death involving police interactions, regardless of whether there is an allegation of wrongdoing.

Anyone with information or video that could be relevant to the investigation is asked to contact the IIO witness line at 1-855-446-8477.

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