“He was reportedly in possession of a weapon and shots were fired by police.”
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A man who had threatened to harm himself with a weapon was shot by a Surrey Mountie at a home in Whalley Friday morning.
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Police said just after 10 am police were called to go to the home, in the 13200-block of 108 Avenue “to check the well-being of a man in crisis, who had threatened self-harm with a weapon in a public place. ”
Officers, including those from the mental health outreach team, arrived at the home and found the man inside.
“He was reportedly in possession of a weapon and shots were fired by police. The man was given first aid and transported by BC Emergency Health Services to a local area hospital where he later died,” said police in a press release.
“The IIO BC has been notified and will be investigating the incident and the actions of the police officers. The area has been closed off to support the investigative needs.”
The Independent Investigations Office investigates all cases of serious injury or death involving police, and its chief civilian director recently called for more government funding to entice candidates to apply for open positions as caseloads peak.
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Director Ronald MacDonald has said the office’s caseload has “basically doubled” over the past two years, and staff are working on about 70 active files.
The civilian-led oversight agency says it responded to six incidents, including two officer-involved shootings, in the first three days of this month alone.
In the release, Surrey RCMP’s Brian Edwards said: “There are necessary protocols in place with the IIO to ensure that the full circumstances around this tragic situation are examined. We are ensuring that all those involved are receiving the necessary supports following a traumatic incident such as this.”
RCMP said the area has been closed off to traffic.
In a statement the IIO asked anyone with information on the shooting to contact the witness line toll-free at 1-855-446-8477 or through the contact form at iiobc.ca.
-With files from Canadian Press
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