The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC has concluded an investigation into the death of a man in Mackenzie and found no negligence in the actions of the police officers.
On Aug. 15, 2023, RCMP officers, including the Emergency Response Team, deployed to a rural area to follow up on a previous call involving a man in possession of a weapon and uttering threats toward others.
Officers contained the area for several hours and during that time spoke to the man on many occasions, some of them lengthy, in an attempt to resolve the situation but all of those attempts were unsuccessful.
During one call, the affected person told police he was watching them through his rifle scope.
Police were considering entry into the home and used two distraction devices prior to doing so. About a minute later, at approximately 10:49 p.m., a loud bang was heard during a call between a police negotiator and the affected person.
The person was later pronounced deceased at the scene, from what appeared to be a self-inflicted injury.
The IIO was notified the same day and immediately commenced an investigation.
Investigative steps determined no officers discharged their firearms. An autopsy later confirmed the affected person’s injury was self-inflicted.
The IIO investigation found no negligence on the part of the police and that officers’ actions were lawful and not unreasonable under the circumstances.
