B.C. police watchdog investigating after man shot with less-lethal round on Okanagan beach

The City of Penticton and Skaha Lake are seen in this undated file photo. (Shutterstock.com)

Mounties in British Columbia say they have notified the province's independent police oversight agency after an officer shot a man in Penticton with a less-lethal round, causing "a possible serious injury."

The incident happened shortly after 5 a.m. Monday, when police received a 911 call about a person being stabbed on a beach at the north end of Skaha Lake.

The caller reportedly said the armed suspect was coming towards him before the call cut off, the RCMP said in a statement Tuesday.

While officers were on scene looking for the victim, the same person reportedly called 911 again, saying the suspect was near the beach washrooms.

The officers went to the washrooms and found "a man with his face covered," B.C. RCMP communications director Dawn Roberts said in the statement.

"The man refused to comply with police directions, and a less-lethal use of force 40-mm ballistic round was deployed, which struck the man."

The man was arrested and taken to hospital for treatment of what the RCMP described as a "possible serious injury."

Investigators say the man police arrested is the same man who made the 911 calls, and there was no stabbing victim.

Injury meets 'serious harm' threshold

The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. confirmed Tuesday that it is investigating the incident.

The police oversight agency investigates all officer-related incidents that result in death or serious harm in B.C., whether or not there are allegations of wrongdoing on the part of the police.

A statement from the police watchdog said the man had a weapon when he was arrested, but the agency did not say what kind of weapon was in his possession.

The IIO also confirmed the man's injuries met the threshold of "serious harm," which is defined under the B.C. Police Act 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 any limb or organ.

The IIO is asking witnesses to the incident to contact the agency at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.

The RCMP said no further information about the incident will be released while the matter is under IIO investigation.