IIO clears Surrey RCMP officer who shot and killed suicidal man

British Columbia's police watchdog says an RCMP dog handler did not break the law when he shot an intoxicated, suicidal Surrey man who fired his shotgun during a confrontation a year ago.

The names of the officer and man were not included in the report by the Independent Investigations Office, which noted the Jan. 17 incident occurred in foggy conditions, in a dimly lit cul-de-sac and near a ravine in the city's north.

IIO chief civilian director Richard Rosenthal says the man wrote a suicide note, said his goodbyes to his family, left his suite armed with the shotgun, waited for police and discharged his weapon before being shot and bitten by the police dog.

He says a toxicology report indicated the man would have been impaired at the time of his death.

Rosenthal says no witnesses saw the shooting, but police and civilians told him what they heard and investigators analyzed radio, video and forensic evidence, so he will not forward a report to Crown counsel.

The officer did not provide a voluntary statement, which was his charter right, and Rosenthal says he decided not to identify anybody involved based on advice from the Information and Privacy Commissioner.