VANCOUVER — The B.C. Coroners Service confirmed Monday that it is investigating the in-custody death of a 30-year-old man who was sentenced recently for crimes he committed during the 2011 Stanley Cup riot.
The coroners service said Monday that William (Billy) Ryan Fisher, who was sentenced to three years in jail on Feb. 19, was scheduled to be transferred from North Fraser Pre-trial facility on Feb. 22 to Pacific Institution, a federal facility in Abbotsford.
Early that morning, he went into medical distress and was transported to Royal Columbian Hospital, where he died three days later.
“The B.C. Coroners Service, provincial and federal corrections officials and RCMP continue to investigate this death,” the service said in a statement.
Fisher was sentenced after being found guilty on a series of charges, including taking part in a riot, aggravated assault and break and enter.
His next-of-kin have been notified and there has been no word on the cause of death.
B.C. Justice Minister Suzanne Anton said Fisher’s sentence was the toughest handed out for crimes committed during the melee.
The riot broke out in downtown Vancouver on June 15, 2011, after the Boston Bruins defeated the Vancouver Canucks in Game 7 of the Cup final.
