Peter de Groot shot by police in Slocan, investigation confirms
Independent Investigations Office of B.C. confirms cause of death
Peter de Groot, the suspect in the Slocan, B.C., shootout, died following a police shooting, it was confirmed Tuesday.
In a media update, the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. said de Groot "sustained a gunshot injury during an interaction with two members of the Emergency Response Team."
The update also confirmed that a firearm was found at the scene.
The B.C. Coroners Service is investigating the death, which it says followed a police shooting at a remote cabin in the Slocan area. De Groot died at the scene.
De Groot, 45, allegedly fired on police near the small community of Slocan last Thursday after they showed up to investigate a dispute between two people — possibly over the condition of animals he was keeping.
When police returned fire, de Groot fled into the woods, prompting officers to lock down the village and evacuate schools and homes.
At a news conference Monday night, police said an emergency response team found the suspected gunman around 1.20 p.m. PT in a cabin near a gravel pit in the area.
''There was an interaction between the subject of the ongoing search and the two emergency response team members," RCMP Supt. Frank Smart said in a statement. "We can confirm the subject is now deceased.''