B.C. man was in 'state of undress' when RCMP entered home to serve ticket, lawsuit alleges

A cool shower can ease the pain of sunburn (Flickr/ Andrew Magill)

A man from B.C.'s Lower Mainland has filed a lawsuit alleging RCMP officers entered his home while he was showering – for the sole purpose of serving him a traffic ticket.

Coquitlam resident Kirk Forbes alleges the two officers let themselves into his property in June 2022 without asking for permission or making their presence known.

Forbes then encountered one of the officers after walking from the shower to his bedroom in a "state of undress," according to his lawsuit, which was filed in B.C. Supreme Court in July.

"Afraid, confused and in a state of shock, the plaintiff almost attempted to neutralize the ostensible home invader by tackling them," the civil claim reads.

Forbes alleges the officer, identified only as Jane Doe in the documents, told him she was there to deliver a ticket for a traffic violation that occurred in Pemberton the previous year.

The homeowner said he was confused by the interaction and asked her to leave his bedroom so he could get dressed.

When he later walked into his living room, Forbes alleges he found the other officer – identified only as John Doe in the lawsuit – searching his home without a warrant.

Forbes asked the officers what happened and was told the door "flung open" when they knocked, so they proceeded to walk inside, according to the claim.

"Jane Doe joked mockingly that perhaps they should investigate whether a break-in had occurred," the lawsuit reads.

Forbes said he filed a complaint with the Coquitlam RCMP detachment the same day, but has yet to receive any indication of the status of his complaint.

In the meantime, the homeowner alleges word of what happened travelled within the Coquitlam detachment.

When he returned to the station to follow up on his complaint weeks after the incident, Forbes alleges a receptionist commented that he "must be the shower guy."

According to the lawsuit, the RCMP officers' actions caused Forbes humiliation, anxiety and distress, and he has asked for unspecified damages.

None of the allegations have been proven in court, and none of the defendants – the attorney general of Canada, the minister of public safety and solicitor general, and the two RCMP officers – have filed statements of defence in the case.

The Coquitlam RCMP issued a news release Tuesday saying the department is aware of the claim and that the federal Department of Justice will be preparing and filing a response.

The statement also provided a brief summary of what Mounties say happened.

"A member of the Coquitlam RCMP attended a residence to serve a violation ticket when they encountered what appeared to be an insecure premises. Eventually, our officers were able to make contact with the resident, who raised concerns about their presence. We believed that we had dealt with those concerns informally, however, the resident initiated a formal public complaint, which is currently underway," a spokesperson wrote.

"It would be inappropriate for us to provide any further comment at this time," the statement concluded.