IIO Concludes Investigation into Motor Vehicle Incident in West Vancouver (2020-175)
Case: 2020-175 Incident Date: July 23, 2020 Agency: Municipal Location: West Vancouver Detachment: West Vancouver Police Department 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 a motor vehicle incident in West Vancouver.
As detailed in our initial release, on July 23, 2020 at approximately 10:00 a.m., an officer observed three motorcycles on Highway 1 travelling at a high rate of speed. When the officer attempted a traffic stop, the motorcycles exited Highway 1 at Caulfield Drive and left the officer’s field of view.
When the officer took the exit as well, a black motorcycle was observed nearby and the officer again attempted, unsuccessfully, to stop the rider. The officer followed briefly before turning back in the direction of the Caulfield Drive exit, at which point they observed a second white motorcycle which also fled at a high rate of speed. The officer again briefly followed this motorcycle before terminating any potential pursuit.
A short time later, a bystander called 9-1-1 when a man riding a black motorcycle was in a collision and sustained injuries.
The IIO’s Chief Civilian Director (CCD) has reviewed the evidence – including medical information, video and independent witness statements – and determined that the officer did not pursue once the motorcycle left their sight. In this case, it was not possible to ascertain if this motorcycle was one of those involved in the earlier attempted traffic stops as the man declined to provide confirmation to the IIO. However, the available evidence indicates that, if indeed the man was one of the involved motorcyclists, the officer’s actions did not result in the collision or injuries sustained by the man.
In addition, the investigation revealed that the injuries sustained by the man do not meet the threshold for serious harm as defined by the Police Act. The 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.