Police killed both man and woman in B.C. hostage-taking in March: investigators

SURREY, B.C. – British Columbia's police oversight agency says both a man and a woman who were killed in a hostage-taking incident in March died of shots fired by police.

The Independent Investigations Office says it's continuing its investigation into the officer-involved shootings on March 29 in Surrey, B.C.

RCMP notified the agency after a hostage situation that started the previous night led officers to enter a home at about 7:25 a.m.

The office says there was an interaction between police and a man and shots were fired, and the man was pronounced dead at the scene while a woman was taken to hospital but did not survive.

It says the workload for the case has been particularly significant, including forensic work, and over 40 interviews completed with witness officers and civilian witnesses.

It says the goal of the investigation is to determine whether police actions were lawful, proportionate and reasonable, or if any offence may have been committed.