B.C. police watchdog investigating after man seriously injured in Victoria police vehicle
British Columbia's police oversight agency has opened an investigation after a man suffered a serious injury following his arrest by Victoria police last year.
The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. says it began investigating the incident on March 6 and has since determined the man's injury appears to meet the threshold of "serious harm" under the B.C. Police Act.
The act defines "serious harm" as an injury that may result in death, serious disfigurement, or substantial loss or impairment of mobility of the body as a whole or of the function of a limb or organ.
The arrest occurred around 8 p.m. on Aug. 30, 2023, when police attended a residence on Johnson Street, between Vancouver and Cook streets, where the man and his friend were having an argument, the IIO said in a news release Tuesday.
The complainant was arrested and taken to the Victoria Police Department headquarters.
The injury, described as "serious but not life-threatening," occurred when he was being removed from the VicPD vehicle at the station, he told the police watchdog.
"The investigation continues to determine what role, if any, police actions or inaction may have played in the injury," the agency said in the release.
The IIO is asking anyone with information about the incident to contact the agency by phone at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.
The IIO is an independent police watchdog that investigates all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death in B.C., whether or not there is any allegation of wrongdoing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.