Watchdog launches special investigation into Christmas Eve arrest in Vancouver

Police cars are seen parked outside Vancouver Police Department headquarters in Vancouver, on Saturday, Jan. 9, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

In a rare move, B.C.'s police watchdog is investigating an arrest in Vancouver that doesn’t strictly fall within its mandate in order to determine if the police acted lawfully.

The Independent Investigations Office probes all interactions with police that result in death or serious harm, whether or not there are allegations of wrongdoing.

In a statement Wednesday, the office announced it is probing an incident that happened on Dec. 24 "despite the absence of serious harm."

Vancouver Police Department officers were called to a restaurant in the 600-block of Dunsmuir Street around 9 p.m. for "assistance in getting a man to leave," according to the IIO. Upon arrival, the man reportedly "declined" to leave, the statement from the IIO says.

"An interaction ensued, and the man was arrested," it continues.

The IIO was notified at the time but did not open an investigation because the man was not seriously harmed or killed. This month, however, the office reports it received "additional information" that prompted an investigation to be ordered under the province's Police Act.

"The investigation will seek to determine if police actions during the arrest of the affected person were lawful," the IIO statement says.

Asked for more information, the IIO did not say what, specifically, is being investigated, only that it is looking into the actions of the officer during the arrest. Injuries of any kind are not necessary for an investigation ordered pursuant to the Police Act, the office said in an email.

A spokesperson for the office says these types of investigations are rare, with the last example being an incident in Williams Lake from 2020. In that case, a video of the incident that was being circulated "attracted significant public scrutiny," the IIO's statement at the time explained.

CTV News has requested comment from the VPD. This story will be updated if a response is received.