The Independent Investigations Office of BC has released it’s report reviewing the interactions an RCMP Officer had with a man who later died outside a homeless shelter in Quesnel back in October of 2025.
The man who died had not been named in the report, but the IIO says his presence at the shelter that night was a breach of a condition of a past court order for a mischief charge. RCMP had been called in at 1:11 am on October 27th by shelter staff who reported that other residents had complained the man had defecated his in clothes and was spreading it on the ground – putting their health at risk.
Based on it’s review of the matter and the testimonies of witnesses who were involved that night, The IIO has determined the officer had acted in good faith and was not negligent in their duties as they attempted to convince the man to leave, or to consent to being assessed by paramedics.
The report found the officer who responded had approached the man in a concerned and caring manner, had stayed with him for some time outside, and eventually returned later in the early morning hours to check on him. Furthermore, the IIO determined that the shelter’s tolerance and lenience with regards to the breach of condition had made it impractical to arrest the man for it, leaving medical intervention the only other option – which the man refused.
According to the IIO report, shelter staff had continued to check on the man periodically outside throughout the rest of the night after RCMP had left, including bringing him a blanket and attempting to share a coffee with him around 3:30am, but he was not allowed to re-enter the shelter.
The man was later found unresponsive outside the shelter by a passerby around 8:30 A.M the next morning. Paramedics were called, but he had been pronounced deceased at the hospital.
An autopsy report attributed his death primarily due to pneumonia, with complications from drug intoxication and hypothermia, as well as a number of pre-existing conditions associated with homelessness. Toxicology reports showed at the time of his death he had high levels of both methamphetamine and a synthetic opioid in his system, which the Coroner noted was enough for a fatal overdose in other cases.
While video evidence shows actions consistent with the responding officer administering naloxone to the man at one point, the IIO says it could not determine if this was the case. That said the Chief Civilian Director of the IIO, Jessica Berglund, says they do not believe the officer committed an offence during his response, and they will not be pursuing any charges.
