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Death in RCMP custody under investigation

(CBC News) – Alberta police have been called in to investigate after a man died in a fall while in RCMP custody in northeastern British Columbia.

The death occurred after an officer responded to a report of an assault Tuesday in Prophet River, RCMP Cpl. Annie Linteau said in a release Wednesday.

During the investigation, an officer encountered a 51-year-old man who the RCMP says had an outstanding arrest warrant.

The officer was escorting the man outside a home when he fell down a short staircase, injuring his head and an arm, Linteau said. The man was not in handcuffs when he fell, she said.

The officer called for medical help and performed first-aid while paramedics were on their way from Fort Nelson, which is about an hour away, but the man later died in hospital, the release said.

Prophet River is a small community about 250 kilometres south of the boundary between B.C. and the Northwest Territories.

Police from Lethbridge, Alta., will investigate the death.

Categories: Death While In Custody.