The provincial police watchdog is investigating after a man suffered injuries during a Saanich arrest on July 15.
According to Saanich Police Department, officers were called to the 4500-block of Granville Avenue around 7:30 p.m., after multiple 911 callers reported a man acting erratically in traffic and threatening drivers, the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) said in a news release.
Police located the man and attempted to arrest him. A police service dog was also used during the interaction and the man suffered injuries. He was taken into custody and then to a hospital for assessment and treatment.
The IIO – which investigates officer-related incidents the result in serious harm or death – was notified and is seeking witnesses to the arrest.
Investigators first look at whether injuries meets the threshold of serious harm, as defined by the Police Act, and if there is a connection between injuries or death and police action or inaction.
If both conditions are met, investigation continues. At the conclusion of the investigation, the chief civilian director would consider whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that an offence may have occurred.
The IIO is asking any witness who has not already provided a statement, or who has video footage of the incident, to contact the toll-free witness line at 1-855-446-8477 or iiobc.ca.
