Man dies while in Vancouver police custody, VPD staff member suspended with pay

A Vancouver police staff member has been suspended with pay in relation to the death of a man in custody.

A source told Global News that the staff member is a jail guard.

B.C.’s police watchdog said the man, who died while in custody, was pronounced dead at a local hospital after being found in medical distress on May 1, inside a Vancouver police jail cell.

The man had been arrested the day before, on April 30, and has not been publicly identified.

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The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) said an investigation is underway, looking into the death and actions by the Vancouver police.

Vancouver police said that the investigation will be handled externally by a different police agency.

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Also, the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner told Global News it has been notified of the death.

A second investigation, under the Police Act, has also begun but has been suspended until the IIO concludes its investigation.

“I can confirm that the department reported this matter to the OPCC consistent with their statutory obligations and the Commissioner will be issuing an order of investigation into the matter,” said Andrea Spindler, a Police Complaint Commissioner deputy.

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Arthur Schafer, the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics’ founding director at the University of Manitoba, said the case and the limited information released so far speak to the need for greater transparency.

“The Vancouver Police Department, its communication staff, and certainly, the top leadership, seem to be incorrigible. They seem to be incapable of learning as one scandal tumbles down after another,” he said.

“They seem to be incapable of learning that transparency, openness, honesty and accountability increase their credibility. They are so secretive that it is impossible not to suspect that they are covering up.”

Details of the man’s arrest, the time leading up to his medical distress, and what actions led to the suspension of the Vancouver police staff member have not been released.