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A man has died and several other people are hurt after an attack Wednesday morning at a band office near Lillooet.
A local resident is alleged to have entered the office and struck a staff member with a hammer. Others ran to assist the victim and were also injured.
The suspect, whose name has not been released, died in police custody after he was subdued by people in the office.
Bridge River Band Chief Susan James said in a statement that “four of the injured have been hospitalized, and two are in serious condition.”
“A number of our office staff are being stabilized and transferred to other hospitals. Our attention now will be on the healing work we need to do. This tragedy has put our community into shock.”
James said that because of the on-going RCMP investigation, she would not be commenting further.
The RCMP said the Independent Investigations Office was called in after the suspect died in custody.
Cpl. Janelle Shoihet said Lillooet Mounties were called to the Bridge River Indian Band office early Wednesday after getting a report that a man had entered the office and assaulted three people using weapons.
“Prior to police attendance, the suspect was subdued and restrained,” Shoihet said in a news release. ”RCMP members arrested the male but were unable to transport him as he became unconscious and unresponsive. RCMP officers immediately commenced CPR, which was continued by EHS who were staged nearby.”
She said efforts to resuscitate the male were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Given that this matter is now considered a police in-custody death the, IIO BC has,” she said.
IIO spokesman Marten Youssef said the RCMP called in his agency about 11:30 a.m.
“The focus of the IIO investigation will be on the actions or inactions of the officers,” he said.
“Standard investigative activities include locating and interviewing any witnesses and collecting evidence from the scene.”
The B.C. Coroner’s office is also investigating, official Barb McLintock told the Sun.
She said the suspect’s name likely won’t be released until Thursday.
Agencies/Canadajournal
