Shooting in Surrey City Centre and death in VPD jail under investigation

Shots struck a parked car near Central Avenue and 133rd Street early Tuesday; separately, a man died in VPD custody on June 15.

Two separate incidents put Metro Vancouver police under scrutiny

A parked vehicle was struck by gunfire in Surrey City Centre just after 2 a.m. Tuesday near Central Avenue and 133rd Street, Surrey Police Service officers confirmed. The car was unoccupied at the time and no injuries were reported, Vancouver Sun Crime reports.

Sgt. Ali Gailus said in a news release that "the investigation is in its early stages and the motive for the shots fired is unknown, but it is believed to be targeted and not extortion-related." The clarification comes amid ongoing extortion incidents in the region, which investigators do not believe are connected to this shooting.

The SPS major crime section has taken over the investigation. Officers are expected to canvass the area in the coming days to gather physical and digital evidence. Anyone with information about possible suspects, or who has surveillance or dashcam footage from the area, is asked to call the SPS non-emergency line at 604-599-0502.

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In a separate incident, the Vancouver Police Department has notified independent investigators after a prisoner was found unconscious in a VPD jail cell on the morning of June 15.

Staff at the VPD jail discovered the man unresponsive at approximately 8 a.m. and called in paramedics from B.C. Emergency Health Services. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity has not been released.

The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. — the civilian oversight body that examines serious injuries and deaths involving police — has been notified and will assume conduct of the investigation. The chief civilian director is responsible for establishing the facts of the case and determining whether the death resulted from any police action or inaction.

Source: Vancouver Sun Crime