IIO Files Report to Crown Counsel for Consideration of Charges Regarding July 2020 Incident in Prince George (2020-183)
Case: 2020-183 Incident Date: July 30, 2020 Location: Prince George Detachment: Prince George Agency: RCMP Incident Classification: Serious Harm Case Status: Closed - No charges approved by Crown CounselINFORMATION BULLETIN
Independent Investigations Office
For Immediate Release
Surrey, B.C. – The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC has filed a report to the BC Prosecution Service for consideration of charges regarding IIO file 2020-183.
As described in the previous media releases, on July 30, 2020 at approximately 7:25 p.m., police received a report regarding a vehicle that was reportedly stolen from Alberta was located in a parking lot in the 1400-block of Old Cariboo Highway. There were three occupants, one man and two women.
When police arrived at the parking lot, all three occupants had fled into a nearby forest near Highway 16 East. One occupant, the man, was located with the assistance of a police service dog. An interaction occurred and the man sustained serious injuries while being taken into custody.
The other two occupants were arrested without incident.
Upon completion of the investigation, Chief Civilian Director Ronald J. MacDonald, QC, reviewed the evidence and determined that reasonable grounds exist to believe that two officers may have committed offences in relation to the use of force during the arrest. As a result, and pursuant to Section 38.11 of the Police Act, the IIO has forwarded a report to the BC Prosecution Service for consideration of charges.
In order to approve any charges, the BC Prosecution Service must be satisfied that there is a substantial likelihood of conviction based on the evidence gathered by the IIO, and that prosecution be required in the public interest.
While the matter is with Crown, the IIO will not be making any additional comment about the facts of this case.
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.