A man arrested for impersonating a doctor and barricading himself in a Trail hospital is believed to have since died of electrocution.
At around 7 a.m. Wednesday (Oct. 13), Trail and Greater District RCMP officers responded to a report of the sudden and suspicious death of a 39-year-old Trail man in the 1500 block of Bay Ave.
In a statement Thursday, investigators said they believed that the man had climbed onto the roof of a building before attempting to climb down a power pole to return to the ground.
“Officers suspect the man inadvertently made contact with the live wires attached to the power pole and was electrocuted,” police said.
READ MORE: Man arrested for impersonating doctor and going on rampage at Trail hospital
“The man likely was killed immediately upon electrical contact and fell from the power pole to the ground.”
Police indicated that the same man was arrested at the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital on Oct. 6. It was alleged he broke into locked offices when he was confronted by staff and claimed to be a doctor at the hospital.
When staff did not believe him, witnesses reported the man went on a crime spree, causing considerable damage as he broke into offices and other secure locations inside the facility.
The man then barricaded himself inside an office until police arrived. The man was facing several criminal charges related to that incident.
Trail RCMP had released the man from police custody on several conditions.
BC Coroner Service is also investigating.
