A man has drowned following a police incident in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island.
At approximately 3 a.m. on Thursday morning, Port Alberni RCMP received a call from a local business that an unclothed male, covered in blood, had just left their store and was at a nearby car wash, cleaning himself off.
Officers located the man, but he began running and reportedly refused to stop before entering a nearby river. According to a press release from the Independent Investigations Office of BC, officers entered the river in an attempt to reach the man, but were “unsuccessful.â€
The IIOC is now investigating to determine whether police actions or inactions are linked to the man’s injuries. No further information will be released by police.