Latest news with #IndependentInvestigationsOffice
CTV News
2 days ago
- General
- CTV News
IIO investigating VPD arrest of man barricaded in SRO room for 6 hours
Investigators from B.C.'s Independent Investigations Office are seen in this file photo from the IIO. The agency that investigates police officers' use of force in B.C. is looking into an arrest that happened in a Vancouver single-room occupancy building earlier this week. The Vancouver Police Department said Wednesday that it was called to the Beacon Hotel on West Hastings Street around 10:45 that morning for a report that a man had pulled a gun inside the building. When officers arrived, the suspect – a visitor to the building – had barricaded himself inside a unit. More than 20 officers, including crisis negotiators and members of the Emergency Response Team, responded to the scene, eventually taking the man into custody after a six-hour standoff. Police said they deployed a Taser and a beanbag shotgun during the arrest, and the suspect 'received medical attention for minor injuries.' In a statement Friday, the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. said it was notified of the incident by the VPD on Wednesday, and has launched an investigation. The IIO is tasked with reviewing all police-related incidents in B.C. that result in death or serious harm to a member of the public, regardless of whether there is any allegation of wrongdoing on the part of police. The IIO said the arrested man received treatment at a local hospital. Investigators are considering two factors as they begin looking into the case, the IIO said. First, they must determine whether the man's injuries meet the definition of 'serious harm' in the provincial Police Act, and second they must determine if there is a connection between the serious harm and police action or inaction. 'If there is a connection to police action or inaction and the person's serious harm or death, the chief civilian director will determine if there are reasonable grounds to believe an offence has been committed,' the IIO statement reads.
CTV News
4 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Man injured during Mental Health Act arrest in Surrey, B.C., watchdog says
Investigators from B.C.'s Independent Investigations Office are seen in this file photo from the IIO. A man was injured during a Mental Health Act arrest in Surrey, B.C., earlier this month, prompting an investigation by the province's police watchdog. The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. said the incident happened on the afternoon of May 9, while members of the Surrey RCMP Provincial Operations Support Unit were responding to a 'disturbance call' at a residential building near 34 Avenue and 152 Street. 'After arriving, officers located one man who had reportedly been in possession of a weapon and moved to detain him under the Mental Health Act,' the IIO said in a news release Tuesday. 'The man suffered injuries during the arrest process and was then taken to a hospital for treatment.' The watchdog didn't learn of the incident until May 21, when it was notified by the Surrey Police Service. It's unclear what led to the delay. An SPS spokesperson declined to comment when contacted by CTV News. An IIO spokesperson said these types of delays are typically the result of police being unaware of the severity of a person's injuries. 'Whether that was the case in this instance will be determined during the IIO investigation,' the spokesperson told CTV News, in an email. The IIO only investigates officer-involved incidents that result in death or serious harm, which includes injuries that cause serious disfigurement or disabilities. The watchdog is tasked with investigating those incidents whether or not there is any allegation of wrongdoing on the part of police.
The Province
22-05-2025
- The Province
IIO calls for charges against Duncan police officer in skid-steer shooting
The Independent Investigations Office says 'reasonable grounds exist to believe that one officer may have committed an offence in relation to the use of a firearm' The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. investigated a police shooting in Evans Park in Duncan involving a tracked skid-steer loader in March 2023. DARREN STONE, TIMES COLONIST Photo by DARREN STONE / TIMES COLONIST B.C.'s citizen-led police-watchdog agency says charges should be considered against a Duncan police officer who shot a man driving a piece of heavy equipment in a residential area two years ago. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors The Independent Investigations Office, which looks into police-related incidents involving death or serious injury, referred the matter to the B.C. Prosecution Service following its probe into the case. The case unfolded on the evening of March 28, 2023, when North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP responded to a report that a man was operating a skid-steer loader in a residential area in Duncan. They arrived to find him on the loader in the Evans Park area, the IIO said in a recent report. After contact between the loader and police vehicles, police fired shots. The man was treated in hospital for serious injuries and later released, the report said. The case was referred to the IIO for investigation in August 2023. Jessica Berglund, the IIO's chief civilian director, reviewed the evidence following the investigation 'and determined that reasonable grounds exist to believe that one officer may have committed an offence in relation to the use of a firearm,' the report said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. For the B.C. Prosecution Service to bring charges, it must be satisfied there is a substantial likelihood of conviction based on the evidence gathered by the IIO, the report said. It must also deem that prosecuting the case is in the public interest. The man who was shot, David Cochrane, said last October that he was suing the RCMP for what he alleged was 'excessive, unjustifiable force' that left bullet fragments in his body and brain. He claimed that officers pursued him with 'unnecessary, unreasonable zeal.' Cochrane said he had been in a car crash on the morning of the day he was shot, and was subsequently observed by hospital staff to be mumbling and unaware what day it was. About six hours later, police received reports that a 'bandaged-up man who doesn't look well' was driving a loader, Cochrane's suit said. He alleged he was pursued by at least four police vehicles, even though the loader had a top speed of 12.6 km/h. His claim says that officers knew or should have known he was in a state of medical crisis, and that he wasn't driving in a way meant to cause harm. jbell@ Read More Vancouver Canucks Junior Hockey National National Columnists
Globe and Mail
17-05-2025
- Globe and Mail
Vancouver officer charged a year after pedestrian strike in Downtown Eastside
The BC Prosecution Service says a Vancouver police officer has been charged under the Motor Vehicle Act for driving without reasonable consideration for others, a year after a pedestrian was hit in the city's Downtown Eastside. The prosecution service says Constable Aaron Carter faces the charge after B.C.'s police watchdog was called in to investigate the crash. The Independent Investigations Office said in a statement at the time that a man was walking on East Hastings near Dunlevy after midnight on May 21, 2024, when he was hit by a police vehicle. A statement from the office last year says the man was taken to hospital with serious injuries, and it forwarded a report to the prosecutor's office, saying there were reasonable grounds to believe the officer may have committed driving offences. The prosecution service says the charge was approved by an 'experience Crown counsel with no connection' to the officer. Carter's first appearance in Vancouver provincial court is set for June 18.
Hamilton Spectator
17-05-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
Vancouver officer charged a year after pedestrian strike in Downtown Eastside
VANCOUVER - The BC Prosecution Service says a Vancouver police officer has been charged under the Motor Vehicle Act for driving without reasonable consideration for others, a year after a pedestrian was hit in the city's Downtown Eastside. The prosecution service says Const. Aaron Carter faces the charge after B.C.'s police watchdog was called in to investigate the crash. The Independent Investigations Office said in a statement at the time that a man was walking on East Hastings near Dunlevy after midnight on May 21, 2024, when he was hit by a police vehicle. A statement from the office last year says the man was taken to hospital with serious injuries, and it forwarded a report to the prosecutor's office, saying there were reasonable grounds to believe the officer may have committed driving offences. The prosecution service says the charge was approved by an 'experience Crown counsel with no connection' to the officer. Carter's first appearance in Vancouver provincial court is set for June 18. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 16, 2025.
