Man shot dead by police at Hope hospital after Coquihalla crash

British Columbia’s police watchdog is investigating an incident in Hope on Wednesday that left one man dead.

According to the RCMP, an “interaction occurred” between the victim and police outside Fraser Canyon Hospital in Hope, which resulted in an officer firing their weapon.

“The man received immediate medical attention, but was pronounced dead at the scene,” Mounties explained.

The man was at the hospital following a two-vehicle crash on the Coquihalla Highway (Hwy 5) at the Zopkios rest area, which is near the highway’s summit around 45 kilometres east of Hope.

Paramedics transported multiple people involved in the crash to Fraser Canyon Hospital for treatment, but an altercation allegedly occurred between two of them.

As a result, BC Emergency Health Services called in the RCMP to assist and that’s when the incident happened.

The Independent Investigations Office of BC is investigating the police actions in this incident and, as a result, no further information will be released by the RCMP at this time.

Fraser Health released a statement Wednesday saying the hospital’s emergency department “will remain closed until the investigation concludes.”

It noted that all patients and staff are “physically safe and unharmed.”

Emergency medical services were still available to residents of Hope and surrounding communities during the closure and people seeking treatment were advised to go to Chilliwack General Hospital.