IIO Concludes Investigation into an Incident in Penticton (2020-235)
Case: 2020-235 Incident Date: September 22, 2020 Location: Penticton Detachment: Penticton Agency: RCMP Incident Classification: Serious Harm Case Status: Closed - Without Public ReportINFORMATION BULLETIN
Independent Investigations Office
For Immediate Release
Surrey, B.C. – The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC has concluded an investigation into an incident in Penticton.
On September 21, 2020 at approximately 7:10 p.m., a caller reported a man in their yard at a home in the 90-block of Okanagan Avenue East. Police attended, located the man and arrested him as he was causing a disturbance. He was then transported to RCMP detachment cells.
At 3:45 a.m. the following day, CCTV in the man’s cell shows that he fell from a seated position, striking his head on the sink next to him and then the floor. As the man appeared to be in medical distress, Emergency Health Services was called to transport him to a local hospital. There is no evidence that any officer used force against the man at any time.
The man was transferred to a larger hospital for further treatment before returning to the local hospital. At this point, he had recovered sufficiently to leave the hospital against medical advice.
The IIO’s Chief Civilian Director has reviewed the evidence – including statements from an independent witness, detachment CCTV and medical information – and determined that the man’s injuries were not the result of police actions or inaction. The investigation is therefore concluded.
Background
The IIO is the independent civilian oversight agency of the police in British Columbia. It investigates all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death, whether or not there is any allegation of wrongdoing.