THE Abbotsford Police announced on Sunday that they have informed BC’s Independent Investigations Office (IIO BC) about an in-custody death that took place at the Junction Mall complex in Mission.

On February 9 at 1:45 p.m., Abbotsford Police patrol officers observed a suspicious vehicle in the Abbotsford area. Officers followed the vehicle into the Mission area, where it eventually stopped at the Junction Mall complex. A traffic stop was conducted, leading to an interaction with the vehicle’s occupants.

During the interaction one of the vehicle’s occupants, a man, was arrested and placed in a police vehicle. Shortly thereafter, the man went into medical distress.

Police said that despite the immediate medical care provided by first responders, the man was pronounced deceased.

The IIO BC is now leading the investigation, with support from the Abbotsford Police Major Crime Unit.

The IIO BC said that the vehicle was believed to have been stolen and that the man was taken to hospital for treatment where he was pronounced deceased.

The IIO BC said it was notified of the incident shortly after it occurred and began an investigation. Initial investigative steps will determine if there was any connection between police actions and the man’s death, and if any force used during the arrest was necessary, reasonable, and proportionate under the circumstances.

The IIO BC is requesting anyone who saw or who has video footage of the incident to contact it at its Witness Line toll-free at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.