Police watchdog seeks witnesses after man dies below Vancouver overpass

The Raymur Avenue overpass is seen in a Google Maps image.

The death of a man who appears to have fallen from an overpass in East Vancouver is being investigated by B.C.'s police watchdog.

Emergency crews found the man beneath the overpass at Hastings Street and Raymur Avenue in the early morning hours of Oct. 24, according to the Independent Investigations Office.

Paramedics pronounced him dead shortly after arriving.

"The male had apparently fallen," the IIO said in a news release Thursday. "The IIO investigation is seeking to determine what happened prior to this incident."

The IIO's release does not reference police, though the watchdog's mandate is only to investigate officer-involved incidents that result in death or serious harm. That includes incidents in which there is no allegation of wrongdoing on the part of law enforcement.

Contacted by CTV News, the IIO confirmed the deceased – a man in his early 20s – had an interaction with an officer on the night of Oct. 23.

According to the IIO, first responders received a call that the man was injured underneath the overpass at around 2:30 a.m. on Oct. 24.

The Vancouver Police Department has not responded to a request for more information from CTV News. This article will be updated if a response is received.

The IIO asked any witnesses who may have seen the man in the area of Hastings and Raymur "at or before the incident," on the morning of his death or the previous night, to come forward.

Authorities described the man as average height, with a slim build, and said he was last seen wearing a black fleece jacket.