Investigation started over death involving Penticton RCMP

The Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia is looking into a death that may have involved the Penticton RCMP.

According to information on the Independent Investigations office website, the death occurred on July 31.

Communications liaison Rebecca Whalen said in an email issued this morning, Aug. 7, the Independent Investigations office is currently conducting initial investigative steps to determine if police actions played any role in the matter.

“We will not be releasing further information at this time,” Whalen said.

The office investigates any time injury or death occurs involving police. At this stage, they will determine if they should be investigating.

In recent weeks, they have investigated Kamloops, Kelowna and West Kelowna detachments.

In Kamloops, they're looking into police efforts to locate a man for a wellness check. They couldn't find him but that same man was arrested the following day after he allegedly stabbed another man to death.

In Kelowna, they're investigating how the RCMP handled a routine accident investigation. One of the parties to the accident walked home around 1:40 a.m. and was found dead less than six hours later.

In West Kelowna, they're probing police actions after a man under investigation was contacted in person by the RCMP before disappearing, only to be found dead more than a month later. 

Police are typically precluded from commenting on such matters while under investigation.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to tips@infonews.ca and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.