IIO is Seeking Witnesses the Arrest of One Man in Saanich (2024-160)
Case: 2024-160 Incident Date: July 18, 2024 Agency: Municipal Location: Saanich Detachment: Saanich Police Department 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 seeking witnesses to injuries sustained by one man after being arrested by members of the Saanich Police Department on July 18, 2024.
Information provided by police states officers responded around 1:30 a.m. to a call of a man using a forklift in an attempt to break into a business in a shopping centre on the 700 block of Royal Oak Drive.
Officers located the man and arrested him with the assistance of a police service dog. It was later determined the man suffered injuries during the interaction with police.
He was taken to a hospital for treatment.
The IIO would like to speak to anyone who saw the man’s interaction with police officers as well as the police service dog.
The IIO was notified of the incident shortly after it occurred and has commenced an investigation. Initial investigative steps will seek to determine what happened during the incident, and whether any police action or inaction was necessary, reasonable, and proportionate in the circumstances.
The IIO is asking any person who has relevant information about the incident including video footage 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.