Police action played no role in man’s self-inflicted death near Merritt: IIO

MERRITT, B.C. — B.C.’s police watchdog says actions of Merritt RCMP officers were not a factor in a man’s death outside of the community last month.

On April 2 at about 9:30 p.m., an officer came across a vehicle parked at the side of Highway 97C near Iron Mountain Road south of Merritt. At about the same time, police heard from a caller expressing concern for the wellbeing of a family member in the area.

The officer who responded reported the man inside the vehicle was in possession of a gun. That prompted a call for additional support, including members of the Emergency Response Team (ERT).

RCMP employed a drone to capture images of the man and found he had suffered a gunshot injury, believed to be self-inflicted. The man was later pronounced dead at the scene.