BC police watchdog investigating man’s death in RCMP custody

KELOWNA, B.C. – British Columbia’s police watchdog is investigating after a man died in Kelowna RCMP’s lockup.

A release from the B.C. RCMP says a 40-year-old man was taken to hospital after a vehicle hit a tree in Kelowna on Friday night.

It says the man was cleared by hospital staff and taken to a police holding cell, where he was found unresponsive on Saturday afternoon.

RCMP say officers started CPR and paramedics responded, but the man was pronounced dead around 2:40 p.m.

The man’s identity and cause of death have not been released.

The Independent Investigations Office, which probes all deaths or serious injuries involving police, is now looking into the case.