Vancouver police shoot carjacking suspect; IIO called in

A carjacking suspect was shot by Vancouver police early Sunday morning, prompting an investigation by the provincial watchdog.

The Vancouver Police Department, in a statement, said officers were called to the intersection of Prior Street and Millross Avenue around 4 a.m. for a report from a security guard that his car had been stolen by “a stranger, armed with a knife and a broken glass bottle.”

Roughly 25 minutes later, police found the vehicle near Slocan Street and East 23rd Avenue.

“The police-involved shooting occurred as the officers were taking the driver, who was considered armed and dangerous, into custody,” according to the VPD.

The suspect, who has not yet been identified or charged, is in hospital under police guard.

The Independent Investigations Office of B.C., which probes all police-involved incidents that result in serious injury or death, was notified shortly after the shooting. The IIO says the stolen vehicle was a black BMW sedan.

“Officers reportedly attempted to stop the BMW unsuccessfully before using police vehicles to bring it to a stop near the intersection of East 23rd Avenue and Slocan Street. During the interaction that followed, shots were fired by police,” a statement from the agency says, adding that the suspect’s injuries are non-life-threatening.

“Initial investigative steps will seek to confirm the extent of the man’s injury and if it meets the threshold of serious harm as defined by the Police Act, and if any force used by police during the arrest was necessary, reasonable, and proportionate under the circumstances.”

Anyone with information is urged to call the IIO at 1-855-446-8477.