The BC Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of a man who died in the RCMP cells in Prince George on Nov. 21, 2016.

The man was Jamie Wilford Shanoss, aged 51, a member of the Gitxsan Nation, currently residing in Prince George.

Mr. Shanoss was taken into custody in the early morning hours of Nov. 21, 2016, by Prince George RCMP in the downtown area of Prince George, and was taken to their cells. Shortly after 2 a.m., an RCMP member noticed Mr. Shanoss appeared to be unresponsive, and 911 was called. Resuscitative efforts were undertaken but were unsuccessful.  

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, and the coroner’s investigation may look at the events which led up to the final fatal outcome and whether there are reasonable and practical recommendations that could be made which might prevent future deaths in similar circumstances.

The family of Mr. Shanoss has been notified of his death. On behalf of family members, the BC Coroners Service asks that the media respect their privacy at this difficult time.