Man dies after being seriously injured in Vancouver jail cell

An investigation is underway after the death of a man who was earlier found in a Vancouver Police Department holding cell in medical distress.

According to the Independent Investigations Office, which is the civilian police oversight agency, the man was arrested at around 4:15 p.m. on April 30 and taken to the Vancouver Police Department jail on the 200-block of East Cordova Street.

The man was found at 8:25 a.m. on May 1 in medical distress as a result of serious injuries and taken to hospital, where he died.

“The IIO was notified of the incident shortly after it occurred and has commenced an investigation. Initial investigative steps will seek to confirm the details of what occurred during the arrest and while the man was in cells, in addition to the cause of the man’s distress,” the IIO statement read.

Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin said a VPD jail guard has been suspended with pay related to the death of the prisoner.