DELTA, B.C. -- The RCMP is investigating a complaint that a South Asian woman was sprayed with a hose outside a home belonging to the police chief of Delta, B.C.

The Delta Police Department told CTV News that it conducted an initial investigation into the matter, then turned the case over to the Surrey RCMP on Tuesday.

"As the matter is now under the purview of another agency we are not able to comment," Delta police spokesperson Cris Leykauf said in an email. "This is our standard protocol. The only other thing I could say is that the Delta Police Board is aware of this investigation."

The woman who filed the complaint said the alleged incident occurred as she left a group of friends at Centennial Beach on June 6.

"I saw there were four gentlemen ahead of me who were going over, at least climbing over, these rocks," Kiran Sidhu told CTV News Thursday.

The teacher in Metro Vancouver said she thought to herself, as the tide was coming in and she looked for a way to get back to her car, "I guess that's what I have to do."

So she followed the path they took, but said a woman came out of the house above the rocks.

"She starts yelling at me and shooing me away."

She told CTV News she explained to the woman that she was just trying to get to her car and didn't know another way.

The back-and-forth continued as Sidhu continued her climb across the rocks. She said at one point she lost her footing, and says the woman laughed.

"(She) said, 'It would be so funny if you fell, but then again we have enough beached whales around here,'" Sidhu said.

At another point, Sidhu said, the woman told her to "go back home. You don't belong here. Get out of here."

Sidhu alleges the woman then grabbed a garden hose and sprayed her.

"All over my hair, all over my face. And now I'm soaking wet and … it's just super demeaning and demoralizing and dehumanizing to treat somebody like this."

Sidhu said she was distraught, and called her friends to tell them what she says happened. She went home, but a few of her friends went to the house.

Video was also posted online showing two people confronting a woman who is standing behind a fence at the property, which CTV News has confirmed is registered to Delta Police Chief Neil Dubord.

Hoping for change

Sidhu said she filed a police report June 7, the day after the alleged incident.

She said she received calls and emails from investigating officers with the Delta police over the next few days, but says that none of them visited her in person to take her statement.

On June 10, Sidhu said, she was told Delta police had concluded their investigation.

"So just within a couple of days. And they didn't find the threshold for assault," she said.

She filed a complaint, and said there were a few more calls with higher ranked officers within Delta Police Department, but about a week later, Sidhu was told Surrey RCMP would be taking over the investigation.

"I think that it's ridiculous that these people would be investigating their boss's wife," she said.

"Only because I complained did it now go externally to the Surrey RCMP."

Sidhu said she wants to see some real change from all this, and wants the police department to take action.

"The Delta police could commit to hiring more women of colour in their force," she said.

That investigation is ongoing.

Apology sent to local news organization

On Thursday afternoon, Lorraine Dubord, the chief's wife sent an apology to the Delta Optimist.

Sidhu has seen the apology, and told CTV News she was disappointed she wasn't mentioned by name.

No one answered the door at the property when CTV News visited on Thursday afternoon.

Delta Mayor George Harvie, who chairs the police board, said he supports the decision to refer the matter to an outside police agency, and officials will issue a statement once they see the investigation's findings.

Harvie noted he has previously spoken "absolutely and unequivocally" against racism in the city.

"Without question, there is systemic racism in our society. I fully recognize that as leaders, we need to do more to combat racism, hatred, and discrimination in our community," Harvie said.