No evidence slain B.C. RCMP officer or colleagues committed offence, watchdog says
None of the officers who responded to the altercation that led to the death of Const. Shaelyn Yang committed an offence, according to B.C.'s police watchdog.
The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. is tasked with looking into all incidents involving police in the province that result in the death of – or serious injury to – a member of the public, regardless of whether there is any allegation of wrongdoing on the part of police.
The IIO opened an investigation after Yang's death because her alleged killer – a man living in a tent in Burnaby's Broadview Park who she had been called to help city staff speak with – suffered gunshot wounds during the altercation.
On Friday, the office announced that it had concluded the investigation.
"The (chief civilian director) has reviewed the available evidence, including independent witness statements and video footage, and determined that there are no reasonable grounds to believe that any officer has committed an offence," the IIO said in a statement.
"Accordingly, the matter will not be referred to Crown counsel for consideration of charges."
The IIO typically releases written summaries of the incidents it investigates. It didn't do that Friday, because the case against Yang's alleged killer, 37-year-old Jongwon Ham, remains before the courts.
Ham is charged with first-degree murder.
In the days after Yang's death, IIO chief civilian director Ronald J. MacDonald told CTV News the office had been able to obtain surveillance video of the entire altercation from a nearby building.
He said the IIO believed Yang discharged the gun that the suspect was shot with, but was unable to confirm if that happened before or after she was stabbed or how many shots were fired.
"I don't want to go into details for two reasons," MacDonald said at the time. "We still do have to complete our investigation, plus the RCMP have an investigation to do with respect to the individual. It's important, therefore, not to potentially taint either of those investigations or any potential prosecution."
Yang's death left many first responders shaken.
Upwards of 2,000 RCMP officers gathered to attend her funeral in early November, along with nearly as many municipal police officers, paramedics, firefighters and members of the Canadian Armed Forces.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.