Man dies during arrest at Kensington Square shopping centre in Burnaby
RCMP say the man went into medical distress while being apprehended; IIO will investigate
B.C.'s Independent Investigation Office will investigate the death of a man in police custody at the Kensington Square shopping centre in Burnaby Friday morning.
In a news release, the B.C. RCMP said it notified the IIO, which looks into all police interactions in the province that result in death or serious harm.
Staff Sgt. Kris Clark said police were called to Kensington Square just before 6 a.m.
"Burnaby RCMP responded to a call from Emergency Health Services regarding an overdosing man who had reportedly been in a physical altercation with an employee at a local business," Clark said in a statement.
"When the man was being apprehended, he began to show signs of medical distress."
Clark said Emergency Health Services and an Advance Life Support ambulance team attempted to revive the man, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
A witness told CBC they saw several police cars still gathered around the Kensington Square Starbucks as of 9 a.m. Friday.
The RCMP says the IIO will determine whether police actions or inaction were linked to the man's death.
Because the incident is now under investigation, Clark said police will not be releasing any further information.