Man dead, IIO investigating after police well-being check in Surrey, RCMP say

A man is dead after Surrey RCMP officers were called to check on his well-being Friday morning.

The office tasked with investigating deaths and serious injuries that occur during police incidents in B.C. has been notified, according to a news release from RCMP.

Police said they were called to a home on 108 Avenue near 132A Street to check on the man, who was reportedly in crisis and "had threatened self-harm with a weapon in a public place."

Officers and a mental health outreach team were dispatched, and encountered the man inside the home.

"He was reportedly in possession of a weapon and shots were fired by police," RCMP said in their news release.

"The man was given first aid and transported by BC Emergency Health Services to a local area hospital where he later died."

Police did not say what kind of weapon the man allegedly had.

The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. has been notified of the death and is investigating. People in IIO uniforms could be seen at the scene Friday afternoon.

Officers wearing the military-style uniforms of the Lower Mainland Emergency Response Team could also be seen at the scene.

The IIO is responsible for investigating all incidents involving police officers in B.C. that result in death or serious injury to a member of the public, regardless of whether there is an allegation of wrongdoing on the part of police.

The officer in charge of Surrey RCMP called the death "tragic" and said the IIO would ensure that the "full circumstances" of the incident would be examined.

"We are ensuring that all those involved are receiving the necessary supports following a traumatic incident such as this," said Asst. Comm. Brian Edwards, in the RCMP statement.

This is the second time in as many weeks that the IIO has been called to Surrey for a fatal incident involving police.

Last Friday, April 1, the police watchdog was called to the intersection of 142A Street and 87A Avenue after an officer fatally shot a man suspected of at least one of a string of incidents that had occurred in the city earlier in the morning.