IIO is Investigating an Incident in Vancouver (2021-302)
Case: 2021-302 Incident Date: September 13, 2021 Agency: Municipal Location: Vancouver Detachment: Vancouver Police Department Incident Classification: Serious Harm Case Status: Closed - With Public ReportINFORMATION BULLETIN
Independent Investigations Office
For Immediate Release
Surrey, B.C. – The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC is investigating an incident in Vancouver.
Information provided by the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) indicates that on September 13, 2021, members of the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) responded to a request for assistance at a business in the 3000 block of Vanness Avenue as a man was allegedly causing a disturbance. It is reported that when officers attempted to take the man into custody, a struggle ensued before he was arrested and transported to VPD cells.
The man reported he sustained injuries during the arrest and filed a complaint with the OPCC. As the injuries he sustained appear to meet the threshold for serious harm, as defined by the Police Act, the OPCC notified the IIO on November 4. The IIO has commenced an investigation into the incident.
The IIO is asking any person with relevant information or video footage of the incident to please contact the 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.