IIOBC recovers 'police-issued equipment' in fatal Surrey shooting

Provincial investigators looking intothe circumstances of a man shot dead by police in Surrey over the weekendhavereleased astatement saying that"other than police issued equipment, nothing of significance was recovered from the scene."

In an e-mail to CBC News,IIOBC says it won't elaborate on the wording of the release, but itappears to indicate that the victim in the incident was not armed.

• RCMPfatally shoot man rightdetachment in South Surrey

AnRCMP officersustained anon-life-threatening gunshot wound during the confrontation which occurred Saturday.The officerwas transported to hospital for treatment.

It remains unclear who may have shot the officer, whether it was an accidental discharge or the officer was shot by another officer or by the victim.

The confrontation happenedaround 2:30 a.m. PT in a parking area attached to the Semiahmoo Library at 152 Street and 18 Avenue. The building also serves as an RCMP detachment.

IIOBC says police responded to calls about a man who was suicidal and in significant distress.

The agency's release states that, "when officers located the man, a physical struggle ensued, shots were fired and the man did not survive his injuries."

Victim screaming

Police on the scene at the timetold CBC News that the victim was screaming and described him as suicidal.

Andrea Taggart who witnessedpart of the altercation heard the screaming, saying the man was yelling for help before the shooting began.

She also said that she heard up to seven shots fired.

RCMPsecured the crime scene and handed jurisdiction over to the Independent Investigations Office of B.C., which investigates incidents of officer-related deaths or serious injuries.

IIOBC says thisis the sixth officer-involved shooting that is under investigation by the agencysince April 1, 2015.