A man has drowned following a police incident in Port Alberni.
At approximately 3 a.m. on Thursday morning, Port Alberni RCMP received a call from a local business that an unclothed male, covered in blood, had just left their store and was at a nearby car wash, cleaning himself off.
Officers located the man, but he began running and reportedly refused to stop before entering a nearby river. According to a press release from the Independent Investigations Office of BC, officers entered the river in an attempt to reach the man, but were “unsuccessful.”
The IIOC is now investigating to determine whether police actions or inactions are linked to the man’s injuries. No further information will be released by police.