The BC Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of a man who died shortly after being arrested by Surrey RCMP on March 2, 2016.
The man was Marvel Woodhouse, aged 53, of Vancouver.
At about 7 p.m. on March 2, 2016, Surrey RCMP were called to a residence in the 11600-block of 96A Ave. in Surrey. Mr. Woodhouse was arrested, but shortly after the arrest was noted to be in medical distress. He was transported to Surrey Memorial Hospital, but could not be resuscitated.
The BC Coroners Service and the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) continue to investigate this death.
The mandate of the IIO is to investigate whether any offences may have been committed by the police officers involved. The mandate of the BC Coroners Service in such cases is broader. The coroner’s investigation may look at the events that led up to the final fatal outcome and whether there are reasonable and practical recommendations that could be made that might prevent future deaths in similar circumstances.