Misconduct is not believed to be a contributing factor to the death of a man in New Westminster this week, according to the independent body that oversees police agencies in B.C.
The recent finding has to do with an incident that began around 3 a.m. on Oct. 5 when officers with the New Westminster Police Department were dispatched to the Pattullo Bridge for reports of a man in distress.
“After significant efforts to negotiate with the male, officers were unsuccessful in their attempts to have him returned to a place of safety,” stated a media release from the Independent Investigations Office of B.C
Investigators say the man jumped from the bridge. He did not survive.
Because police officers were actively engaged with the man prior to his death, the Independent Investigations Office was called to the scene to determine whether the officers committed any wrongdoing in their handling of the situation.
After a daylong investigation, the independent office concluded that none of the officers’ actions were a direct factor in the man’s death, ultimately releasing jurisdiction back to the police department and B.C. Coroners Service.
