Officers not responsible for man’s death in Surrey: B.C. police watchdog

B.C.’s civilian police watchdog has cleared officers of any wrongdoing in the death of a man in Surrey this summer.

Surrey RCMP was called to the area of 134A Street and 69 Avenue around 12:30 a.m. on June 28 to reports of a man “behaving erratically,” according to the Independent Investigations Office.

When police arrived they found the man in someone’s backyard, where he was taken into custody.

According to the IIO, the man then went into medical distress.

Police and firefighters attended to the man until paramedics, who weren’t able to immediately attend, arrived.

“The man’s condition further deteriorated while in transit, and he was pronounced dead when he arrived at the hospital,” the IIO said in a media release, Wednesday.

“Medical evidence confirms that the man sustained no significant injuries when arrested by police, and none that contributed to his death.”

The Independent Investigations Office investigates all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death, regardless of whether there is any allegation of wrongdoing.

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