An arrest in Falkland resulted in injury a year and a half ago and now police watchdogs are investigating to determine if the Mountie involved was responsible.
Information provided by the RCMP indicates that on Dec. 3, 2019, around 9:40 a.m., officers found a vehicle near the 5600 block of Highway 97 that was tied to a man and woman who had outstanding warrants for their arrest, the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) said in a Thursday, June 10 release.
Because police had tried to stop the vehicle without success, the Southeast District Emergency Response Team and a Police Dog Service member were called in to assist.
“An interaction occurred with the male driver of the vehicle, and he was subsequently arrested with the assistance of a police dog and sustained what was believed to be a minor injury. The female passenger was arrested without incident,” the IIO stated.
However, on March 12, 2021, RCMP were advised that the man may have sustained a serious injury during the December 2019 incident. The IIO was notified on April 26, 2021, and started an investigation.
As the independent civilian oversight agency of the police in B.C., the IIO investigates all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death, whether or not there is any allegation of wrongdoing.
The IIO is asking any person with relevant information of the incident to please contact the Witness Line toll-free at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.
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