Man dies shortly after arrest in Mary Hill bypass incident, IIO investigates
Posted December 23, 2019 3:38 pm.
Last Updated December 23, 2019 8:16 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
COQUITLAM (NEWS 1130) — A man is dead after Coquitlam Mounties tried to arrest him in an incident, which closed the Mary Hill Bypass for several hours on Sunday.
Police were first called to a home near the bypass to followup on a number of arrest warrants for a man.
In a release, the Coquitlam RCMP says the man was spotted running from a wooded area and into traffic on the Mary Hill Bypass where he was almost hit.
An officer from the Coquitlam Traffic unit drove towards the man and reportedly saw him trying to open doors of running vehicles before eventually getting into the back seat of one.
He was arrested in the vehicle, but went unconscious and couldn’t be revived. The officer tried to provide medical help, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
An hour earlier, police went to a nearby home to followup on a number of arrest warrants for the same man.
The IIO is investigating to determine if the actions or inactions of the RCMP are linked to the man’s death.
