B.C.'s independent police watchdog is seeking witnesses to an incident that occurred in front of Victoria City Hall in the afternoon of Friday, Aug. 1, that left a man in the hospital.
According to the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO), around 3:45 p.m., police responded to a call near the intersection of Douglas Street and Pandora Avenue, where a man was alleged to have been in possession of a weapon.
Police, including members of the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team, arrived and located the man in possession of what appeared to be a weapon. The IIO says officers attempted to arrest the man, and during the interaction, police used "a method of less-lethal force" to take the man into custody.
"The man suffered an injury while being arrested and was taken to a hospital for assessment and treatment," noted a news release from the IIO.
While investigating an incident, there are two factors that the IIO considers at the beginning of each investigation: if there has been an injury that meets the threshold of serious harm or a death; and if there is a connection between the serious harm or death, and police action or inaction.
"If both conditions are met, the investigation will continue to examine all available evidence to determine what occurred. At the conclusion of the investigation, the chief civilian director will consider whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that an offence may have occurred," noted the release.
Anyone who has not already provided a statement, or who has video footage of the incident, tare asked to contact the IIO's witness line at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.
The IIO is a civilian oversight agency of the police in B.C. They investigate all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death.
