VANCOUVER - Nearly 18 months after an officer-involved shooting in B.C.’s West Kootenays, the province’s police watchdog has submitted a report to Crown for the consideration of charges.
According to information provided by the RCMP, the officer was responding to reports of an “erratic driver” in Grand Forks at the time of the May 2018 shooting.
Authorities said a suspect rammed into some police vehicles before one officer opened fire on him.
On Tuesday, the Independent Investigations Office revealed it has referred the case to prosecutors “for consideration of charges including attempted murder, aggravated assault and assault with a weapon.”
“The (chief civilian director) of the IIO has completed his review of the investigative file and has determined that reasonable grounds exist to believe an officer has committed an offence,” the watchdog said in a news release.
The suspect was taken to hospital with critical injuries, but survived thanks to medical intervention.
The IIO has not shared any further details about how the confrontation played out, and said it would not be doing so while the case is with the B.C. Prosecution Service, which is responsible for deciding whether to lay charges.
The IIO is a civilian-run body that investigates all police-related incidents where someone is seriously hurt or killed.
