The man who died following an incident with police at an Agassiz care home last week has been identified.
The man was 88-year-old Rene Armand Vaugeois, said the BC Coroners Service on Tuesday.
Vaugeois was a resident of Cheam Village, an independent-living seniors' residence in Agassiz.
Shortly after 7 a.m. on Sept. 23, Vaugeois became involved in an encounter with Agassiz RCMP officers at the residence. He went into medical distress and died at the scene.
Because of the police involvement, the Independent Investigation Office of British Columbia was called in to investigate.
Initial reports said the man was holding a sharp object near his stomach, “believed to be a knife,” when police arrived.
Vaugeois sustained an injury in the period immediately preceding his death, the coroners service said. Although some reports stated that it was the cause of his demise, the injury was found to be minor in nature and its role in his death is still under investigation.
An RCMP member was also stabbed in the leg during the altercation. He was treated and released from hospital.
Both the he BC Coroners Service and the Independent Investigations Office continue to investigate.
Anyone with information or who may have witnessed the incident is asked to contact the IIO toll-free witness line at 1-855-446-8477 (TIPS).