B.C.’s police watchdog has submitted a report to Crown counsel about a fatal officer-involved shooting in East Vancouver two years ago.
The Independent Investigations Office was called after police shot a man while responding to a complaint of a disturbance near East 41st Avenue and Knight Street on Nov. 22, 2014.
The man, whom witnesses allege had been acting erratically and waving a piece of wood, did not survive his injuries.
On Friday, the IIO confirmed its investigation into the shooting was complete, and that it had forwarded a report to the Crown, as is required when the watchdog believes an officer may have committed an offence.
The IIO does not recommend whether charges should be approved in connection with its investigations, however. The decision to lay charges lies solely with the Criminal Justice Branch.
Witnesses told CTV News they saw a man hitting a fence with a two-by-four before the shooting. Once police arrived, they allege the man started walking toward officers with the lumber.
One bystander said police gave one warning, then fired two bean-bag shots at the man, who ended up in the middle of the Knight Street intersection, where he was shot.
According to the Vancouver Police Department, the officer involved in the shooting had less than five years’ experience with the force at the time of the incident.
No officers were injured.
