A Vancouver police officer who fired at a man allegedly threatening SkyTrain passengers with a machete last year will not face charges.

In a report issued by B.C.'s police watchdog, the organization's chief civilian director wrote: "I do not consider that any police officer may have committed an offence under any enactment and therefore the matter will not be referred to Crown Counsel for consideration of charges."

The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. posted the findings publicly Monday in connection with a shooting that occurred in December 2016.

Transit Police were called at 8:17 a.m. Dec. 19 for reports that a man was armed with a machete – described by the IIO as 46 centimetres long – and called in the Vancouver Police Department for backup.

The man had allegedly boarded an eastbound train in downtown Vancouver, and was met by officers when the train reached the 29th Avenue SkyTrain Station.

Transit Police boarded the train and instructed him to "drop the knife," the IIO report said, but the man did not comply. The train was evacuated of passengers and transit authorities, and the doors closed, containing the suspect.

Three Vancouver police officers arrived, and while two secured one of the ends of the platform, the third went to the other entrance. The suspect then kicked out a window of the train and approached the officer and transit police while carrying the machete, the IIO report said.

He continued to follow the officers as they backed away, pointing their firearms at him while telling him to drop the knife. The report said the officer stopped backing away near the top of the stairs, and fired at the suspect when he refused to stop or drop the knife.

He was hit once in the upper abdomen, the report said. He underwent emergency surgery and survived, but declined to provide a statement to the IIO.

The suspect was later identified as 37-year-old Christoper Lee Boyda, from Coquitlam, and charged with assault with a weapon and uttering threats.

Investigators with the IIO interviewed dozens of witnesses and reviewed hours of surveillance footage as part of their investigation, the report said. The investigation revealed none of the officers present were equipped with Tasers or bean-bag shotguns.

The IIO report said the officer who fired at Boyda had requested less lethal use of force options, but that they had not yet arrived because of the bad weather.

Ultimately, investigators ruled it would be reasonable for the officer to believe potentially lethal force was necessary to protect himself or others, and the IIO will not be recommending charges against him.