IIO Deploys to Officer Involved Shooting in Port Hardy

INFORMATION BULLETIN
Independent Investigations Office
For Immediate Release

SURREY – The Independent Investigations Office of BC confirms it has sent investigators to Port Hardy after being notified of an incident involving the RCMP.

According to the RCMP and the information reported to the IIO, at shortly after 11:00 a.m. this morning, officers were responding to a complaint of a male causing a disturbance at a firefighting staging area on the Port Hardy Secondary School grounds. Police located the affected person and during this interaction, the affected person was shot. He did not survive his injuries. No police officers were injured.

The IIO Team Director, a Forensic Specialist, the Manager for Services for Affected Persons and several other investigative staff will arrive in the area early this evening.

The RCMP have secured the scene as well as physical evidence and will hold it until IIO personnel arrive. Preliminary tasks will include seizing any physical evidence, designating and interviewing officers as well as taking statements from civilian witnesses.

As per the MOU, the RCMP will defer all comments related to the investigation to the IIO; however, due to the preliminary stages of the investigation, information the IIO is able to release is limited.

The IIO will not be commenting on the age, gender, or years of service of the police officer and will defer questions related to the officer to the RCMP. The BC Coroners Service maintains all responsibility for information related to the deceased.

Please note there will be limited media availability.  Any updates will be posted to the IIO website.

Independent Investigations Office
Kellie.Kilpatrick@iiobc.ca