IIO Has Submitted Report to Crown Counsel for Consideration of Charges Regarding the Death of One Man in Campbell River in July 2021 (2021-179)
Case: 2021-179 Incident Date: July 8, 2021 Location: Campbell River Detachment: Campbell River Agency: RCMP Incident Classification: Death 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 today submitted a report to the BC Prosecution Service for consideration of charges regarding IIO file 2021-179.
On July 8, 2021, shortly before 5:30 a.m., an RCMP officer approached a dark blue Audi which was parked at the time. At that point, the Audi’s driver drove away and there was contact between the police vehicle and the Audi. The officer relayed the information to other officers but did not pursue the vehicle.
Officers later located the Audi and at approximately 9:00 a.m. stopped the vehicle while at the drive-through window of a business on South Island Highway near Hilchey Road. An interaction then took place between the man and police, during which police fired shots. The driver of the Audi was later pronounced deceased.
As releasing the details of the interaction could prejudice a potential prosecution, more information will not be provided at this time.
As stated by the IIO on December 1, 2022, Chief Civilian Director Ronald J. MacDonald, KC, has reviewed the evidence and determined that reasonable grounds exist to believe that three officers may have committed offences in relation to various uses of force. As a result, and pursuant to Section 38.11 of the Police Act, the IIO has today submitted the investigative file 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 is 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.