The province’s police watchdog agency has ended its investigation of a Vernon death this spring.
According to the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO), Vernon RCMP played no role in a man’s death on the morning of April 25, when officers attended a local residence at 7:25 a.m., to transport him to hospital.
“Video footage shows that when the man arrived with officers at the hospital, he went into medical distress,” the IIO said on Wednesday.
“Despite the life-saving efforts of medical staff, the man was pronounced deceased.”
The IIO said its chief civilian director reviewed the evidence, which included a civilian witness statement, video footage, and police information, and determined the cause of death was not related to any police action or inaction.
The IIO is the independent civilian oversight agency of the police in B.C., and it investigates all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death, whether or not there is any allegation of wrongdoing.