THE BC RCMP said on Thursday that it has notified the Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia of an incident in Surrey where one woman has died.

On Thursday, September 19 at approximately 4:40 a.m., Surrey RCMP received a report of a disturbance at a residence. Officers attended and found a woman, who was reportedly holding a weapon next to a young child, barricaded in a room. Two other adults that were at the residence were safely removed by the attending officers.

At approximately 5:30 a.m., while interacting with the woman, an officer fired their weapon striking her. Officers and Emergency Health Services, who were already outside of the residence, immediately provided medical assistance, but the woman died at the scene. There were no reported injuries to the child.

The IIO said it was notified of the incident shortly after it occurred and commenced an investigation. Initial investigative steps will seek to confirm the details of the incident and if the force used by police was necessary, reasonable, and proportionate in the circumstances.

The IIO is requesting any person with video footage or relevant information about the incident to contact the Witness Line toll-free at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.