The head of B.C.含羞草研究社檚 police watchdog office says a Kelowna RCMP officer 含羞草研究社渓ikely crossed the criminal negligence threshold含羞草研究社� in not properly conducting a wellness check in January 2024.
A report by Independent Investigations Office (IIO) Director Ron MacDonald states the officer failed to 含羞草研究社減roperly comply with his sworn duty to protect life含羞草研究社� regarding a wellness check on Jan. 10.
The officer was sent to an apartment building after an out-of-province call asking to check on an individual who was extremely sick.
Unable to find the person含羞草研究社檚 buzzer number in the building directory, the officer left less than two and a half minutes later and told the caller to find someone else to check on their friend.
The report states the individual had no family or contacts in Kelowna. The building manager found a man dead in his apartment later that morning.
The same officer was sent back to the apartment to assist paramedics with a sudden death. A BC Coroners report states the death was from natural causes and occurred sometime on Jan. 9.
MacDonald含羞草研究社檚 report states the officer almost immediately abandoned his investigation after being stopped by the building含羞草研究社檚 front door.
含羞草研究社淭here were other options he could have pursued but failed to take any, other than to call the complainant back to tell her to get someone else to the job he had been tasked to do,含羞草研究社� the report reads.
MacDonald also writes that the officer could have tried to contact other residents, the manager, or the property owner.
含羞草研究社淚ndeed a forced entry in these circumstances would quite likely have been appropriate.含羞草研究社�
MacDonald notes the evidence indicates that the officer含羞草研究社檚 to gain entry to the building 含羞草研究社渄id not make any difference to the unfortunate outcome.含羞草研究社�
He concludes that the officer含羞草研究社檚 inactions 含羞草研究社渕ay well constitute a breach of RCMP policy and practice, a matter for their professional standards branch to address.含羞草研究社�
READ MORE: Kelowna murder, mutilation trial continues to chug along in court
READ MORE: Kelowna RCMP confirm no charges following theft of pet shop python
