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
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.