VANCOUVER Police say they have notified the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) following the death of a prisoner at the VPD jail.

Shortly before 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 16, a 49-year-old prisoner became unresponsive after suffering an apparent medical emergency inside the jail. The man received medical attention at the jail and was transported to hospital, where he died.

VPD says it has informed the Independent Investigations Office of the sudden death.

The IIO said information provided by police states that at around 4 a.m., officers arrested the man and transported him to the VPD jail, arriving around 4:30 a.m.

The IIO was notified about the man’s death shortly after it occurred and is now investigating.

The IIO is requesting any witnesses that have not already provided a statement, or who have 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.