Fatal police shooting in Dawson Creek under investigation
Police say a man was reportedly disturbing a B.C. Hydro open house before officers arrived
The province's police watchdog has been called to Dawson Creek, B.C., after a confrontation with RCMP officers left one man dead.
The Independent Investigations Office spokeswoman Kellie Kilpatrick said the shooting happened at an open house sponsored by B.C. Hydro for the Site C dam project on Thursday evening.
RCMP said around 6:30 p.m., officers responded to a report that a man was disrupting the event and allegedly damaging property in the 500-block of Highway 2.
Police said when they arrived, they found a masked man outside the venue who was thought to be connected to the complaint.
RCMP said in a statement that efforts to de-escalate the situation were unsuccessful and the man was shot during a confrontation.
The man was taken to hospital, but died of his injuries.
IIO members, including a team director, forensic specialist and several investigators will fly to Dawson Creek early Friday to take over the case. In the meantime, RCMP's North District Major Crime unit has secured the site.
This is the fifth police-related shooting the IIO has responded to this year.
In 2014, there were 11 officer-involved shootings and five in 2013.