Mounties in Surrey, B.C., cleared of wrongdoing in fatal pedestrian accident

SURREY, B.C. – British Columbia’s police watchdog has concluded police officers in Surrey, B.C., did nothing wrong when they released a man from custody who died less than an hour later.

RCMP received a report on the night of Sept. 14 that a pedestrian had been hit in Surrey and emergency health workers at the scene had pronounced him dead.

The following day police learned the dead man was the same person released from custody about 45 minutes before he was killed.

Police then called in the Independent Investigations Office, the body that investigates serious or deadly incidents involving police.

The office issued a news release Friday saying the man had been held in custody for five hours before being released and a review of video evidence showed he appeared sober and capable of caring for himself.

It says its investigation has determined that the man’s death didn’t arise from the actions of police.