Person seriously injured while in Vancouver police custody, IIO notified more than 2 months later

A Vancouver Police Officer is seen during a news conference from the B.C. Association of Chiefs of Police about implementing body-worn cameras for officers, in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ethan Cairns

B.C.'s police watchdog is looking into an incident that led to one person being seriously injured while in Vancouver police custody, but says it was weeks before it was notified.

The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. issued a notice Tuesday saying it's investigating the person's injury after an incident unfolded on Feb. 13. The IIO said it was told about the situation by the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner on April 26.

According to the IIO, the person was taken out of a holding cell by special municipal constables.

"There was an interaction outside the holding cell, the (affected person) suffered a serious injury and was transported to a hospital for evaluation and treatment," the IIO's statement said. "Initial investigative steps will seek to clarify the circumstances surrounding the person's injury."

The IIO investigates any officer-involved incidents that result in death or serious injury, whether or not there are allegations of wrongdoing.

According to the IIO, the civilian-led agency's authority comes from B.C.'s Police Act, "which requires the police to notify it of any incident that may fall within its jurisdiction." In this instance, however, the IIO was told about the incident by the OPCC, not the Vancouver Police Department.

In an emailed statement to CTV News Vancouver, the IIO explained a delay in notification is sometimes "the result of the police agency being unaware of the severity of the injury at the time the incident occurred."

"Whether that was the case in this instance will be determined during the IIO investigation," the statement said.

CTV News Vancouver has sent multiple requests for comment to the VPD, and has not received a response. This story will be updated if one is received.