IIO Concludes Investigation Into Serious Harm in Vancouver (2023-004)
Case: 2023-004 Incident Date: August 13, 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 Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC has concluded investigation 2023-004 into an incident in Vancouver that resulted in one man suffering an injury while being arrested by members of the Vancouver Police Department.
On August 13, 2020, the affected person was driving his grey Honda Civic when he was involved in a motor vehicle collision with a black Ford Flex near the Chinese Consulate in the 3300-block of Granville Street. When officers arrived following the collision, there was an interaction while the man was being taken into custody.
The man was transported to a local hospital for treatment and a mental health assessment. The man remained at hospital pursuant to mental health issues. While there, several days after his initial admission, the man complained of an injury to hospital staff. The VPD was not made aware of this injury.
The man later reported the incident to the IIO on January 3, 2023, and the IIO commenced an investigation to discern whether the man’s injuries met the threshold for serious harm, as defined by the Police Act.
After reviewing all the available evidence including medical records and CCTV video, investigators determined there is no evidence supporting that police were responsible for the injury.
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.