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The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) has been called to investigate a Surrey Police Service member’s death in Langley.
IIO officials said RCMP officers attempted to locate a man in reported distress at a business in the 9900 block of 201 Street on Wednesday afternoon.
When police officers were inside the business, the man, who has been identified as an off-duty Surrey Police Service member, sustained a “serious injury that appears to have been self-inflicted,” IIO staff said in a release.
The man was then subsequently pronounced deceased.
Langley RCMP confirmed the incident took place at The Range Langley, a large indoor shooting range.
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The man, who has not been identified, was under a suspension with pay order stemming from allegations regarding a breach of trust incident in 2022, SPS confirmed.
“My understanding was that this officer was suspended with pay and was subject to (an) investigation,” Ian MacDonald, a Surrey Police Service spokesperson, said.
“It was a breach of trust investigation that was being fronted by Surrey RCMP and was working its way through BC Prosecution Services.”
The officer’s next of kin has been notified, police said.
The IIO has begun its investigation, and initial investigative steps will seek to confirm what role, if any, police actions or inactions may have played in the death.
Anyone with relevant information regarding the incident is asked to contact the Witness Line toll-free at 1-855-446-8477.
