B.C. police watchdog looking for witnesses to arrest of Penticton shoplifter

The Independent Investigation Office of B.C. is looking for witnesses to the arrest of a Penticton shoplifter who suffered a head injury and later died in hospital

The arrest occurred on Nov. 8 around 8:40 a.m. when officers attempted to arrest a man for shoplifting from a Penticton store. The man resisted and suffered a head injury.

He was taken to hospital but left the institution and had to be returned by police. The man’s condition continued to deteriorate while in hospital and he died six days later on Nov.14.

The man's death is under investigation by the Independent Investigations Office, a civilian oversight agency that investigates all officer-related deaths in B.C. whether or not there is suspicion of wrongdoing.

Two witnesses have been identified by the investigators as being able to provide some important information to the current investigation into the man’s death.

Between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m. on Nov. 8, a grey or tan coloured Honda Odyssey with a hood deflector stopped at the junction of Government Street and Forestbrook Drive for police before the driver and or occupants drove on.

Investigators would also like to speak to the driver and or the occupants of a purple or grey Honda CRV that turned right onto Forestbrook Drive around the same time.

The investigations office is asking for these and any other witnesses who may have seen, heard or recorded the incident to contact the Independent Investigations Office witness line at 1-855-446-8477.

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