British Columbia’s civilian police watchdog, the Independent Investigations Office (IIO), is investigating the death of a 49-year-old man who became unresponsive in the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) jail cells shortly before 10 a.m. on Wednesday. The man had been arrested around 4 a.m. and booked into jail at 4:30 a.m. He was transported to hospital where he later died.
Watchdog deployed after man booked in Vancouver police jail dies
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️British Columbia’s civilian police watchdog, the Independent Investigations Office (IIO), is investigating the death of a 49-year-old man who became unresponsive in the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) jail cells shortly before 10 a.m. on Wednesday. The man had been arrested around 4 a.m. and booked into jail at 4:30 a.m. He was transported to hospital where he later died.
Trending- 1 Wednesday 4 a.m.: Man arrested by police.
- 2 Wednesday 4:30 a.m.: Man booked into VPD jail cells.
- 3 Wednesday before 10 a.m.: Man becomes unresponsive due to an apparent medical emergency.
- 4 Paramedics transport the man to hospital.
- 5 Man later dies at the hospital.
- 6 Independent Investigations Office (IIO) begins investigation.
- Independent Investigations Office (IIO) investigation initiated
- Public scrutiny regarding deaths in police custody
What: A 49-year-old man died after becoming unresponsive in the Vancouver Police Department's jail cells.
When: Wednesday (arrested around 4 a.m., booked around 4:30 a.m., became unresponsive shortly before 10 a.m.). Article published July 17, 2025.
Where: Vancouver Police Department (VPD) jail cells, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Why: The man suffered an apparent medical emergency. The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) is investigating to determine if police interaction played a role, as per their mandate for deaths involving police.
How: The man became unresponsive while in custody, was transported to hospital by paramedics, and subsequently died. The IIO was deployed to investigate.