IIO is Investigating an Arrest in Port Alberni (2026-195)
Case: 2026-195 Incident Date: August 12, 2026 Location: Port Alberni Detachment: Port Alberni Agency: RCMP Incident Classification: Serious Harm Case Status: Open - Investigation in ProgressINFORMATION BULLETIN
Independent Investigations Office
For Immediate Release
Surrey, B.C. — The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) is investigating an arrest that occurred in Port Alberni on August 12, 2026.
Information provided by the RCMP states that at about 4:20 p.m., members of the Port Alberni RCMP arrested a man at a residence on the Tseshaht First Nation as part of an ongoing investigation.
While being taken into custody, the man was involved in an interaction that resulted in a serious but non-life-threatening injury. He was transported directly to a local hospital for medical assessment.
The IIO was notified of the incident shortly after it occurred and is now investigating.
There are two factors that the IIO considers at the beginning of each investigation:
- If there has been an injury that meets the threshold of serious harm, as defined by the Police Act, or a death; and
- If there is a connection between the serious harm/death and police action or inaction.
If both conditions are met, the investigation will continue to examine all available evidence to determine what occurred. At the conclusion of the investigation, the chief civilian director will consider whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that an offence may have occurred.
The IIO asks that any witnesses who have information regarding this matter to please contact the IIO Witness Line toll-free at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.
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.