Charges possible for Vancouver cop who crashed into pedestrian in Downtown Eastside

Months after a pedestrian was struck by a police cruiser in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, a watchdog has asked prosecutors to consider charges against the officer behind the wheel.

Surveillance video showed the victim was standing motionless in the middle of East Hastings Street for at least 10 seconds before the vehicle slammed into him in the early morning hours of Sept. 20, 2022, violently knocking him off his feet.

Authorities said the man suffered serious injuries that left him hospitalized.

The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. was notified of the incident, and after reviewing the evidence decided to file a report to Crown for the consideration of charges.

Chief civilian director Ronald J. MacDonald found "reasonable grounds exist to believe that one officer may have committed driving offences," the IIO said in a news release Monday.

It's unclear whether those offences might fall under the Criminal Code or the Motor Vehicle Act. A spokesperson for the IIO said she could not provide any further details now that the matter is with the B.C. Prosecution Service, which will decide whether to approve charges and what those charges might be.

After the crash, community advocates described the circumstances as "horrific."

"The speed at which the police officers just rammed the man is shocking," said Vince Tao, a community organizer with the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users.

It's unclear how fast the cruiser was going prior to the collision. The Vancouver Police Department previously declined to confirm whether the officer was heading to an active crime scene at the time of the crash.

The vehicle did not have its emergency lights activated at the time.