IIO Concludes Investigation into an Incident in Vancouver (2020-267)
Case: 2020-267 Incident Date: October 26, 2020 Agency: Municipal Location: Vancouver Detachment: Vancouver Police Department Incident Classification: Serious Harm Case Status: Closed - Without Public ReportINFORMATION BULLETIN
Independent Investigations Office
For Immediate Release
Surrey, B.C. – The Chief Civilian Director (CCD) of the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC has concluded an investigation into an incident in Vancouver.
As indicated in the IIO’s previous release, on October 26, 2020, Vancouver Police Department officers arrested a man who was behaving erratically on West Hastings Street between Abbott and Carrall streets at approximately 1:20 p.m. Several officers assisted in restraining the man so he could be placed in handcuffs, but no other force was used in the arrest.
Shortly after the man was placed in handcuffs, he went into medical distress and Emergency Health Services (EHS) were called. While waiting for EHS, assistance was provided by officers and a nearby community nurse. The man’s condition was later confirmed to be the result of circumstances unrelated to his contact with police.
The CCD has reviewed the evidence and determined that there are no reasonable grounds to believe that any officer has committed an offence. In addition, police intervention may have prevented a worse outcome as officers were able to provide and call for assistance as soon as the man went into medical distress. The IIO investigation is now 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.