Police not responsible for man's death near Lake Cowichan, IIO says
B.C.'s police watchdog says RCMP are not responsible for an alleged armed robber's death near Lake Cowichan, B.C., last month.
The incident occurred on Nov. 29, when Mounties from the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP detachment were called to a report of an armed robbery at a business in Chemainus, B.C., north of Duncan.
The alleged robber fled the area in a black Toyota Tacoma pickup truck, according to the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. The truck was spotted driving through Duncan around 3 p.m. before police lost track of it.
Two civilian witnesses reported seeing the truck driving around 3:30 p.m., before it was later found by police parked on the side of Highway 18 near Lake Cowichan, according to the IIO.
Mounties tried to communicate with the driver, but did not receive a response.
"When police approached the truck at about 4:45 p.m., it was apparent that the man had suffered a self-inflicted injury and was deceased," said the IIO in a release Tuesday.
"The chief civilian director has reviewed the evidence – including medical information and police records – and determined that police are not responsible for the man’s death," the release continues.
The IIO's investigation into the incident is now over.
The independent agency is called to any incident involving police that results in serious harm or death, regardless of if there are allegations of wrongdoing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.