IIO is Seeking Witnesses to a September 2020 Arrest in Victoria (2023-337)
Case: 2023-337 Incident Date: September 26, 2020 Agency: Municipal Location: Victoria Detachment: Victoria Police Department Incident Classification: Serious Harm Case Status: Closed - Without Public ReportINFORMATION BULLETIN
Independent Investigations Office
For Immediate Release
Surrey, B.C. — The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) is seeking witnesses to an arrest in Victoria in which one man sustained injuries.
Information provided by the affected person, a man, states that at about 10:00 p.m. on September 26, 2020, he was arrested by members of the Victoria Police Department in the hallway at his apartment building in the 3000 block of Blanshard Street.
The man reports that he attended the hospital some time after the arrest and had sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries.
The IIO was notified of the incident on November 11, 2023 and commenced an investigation. Initial investigative steps seek to confirm that the man’s injury meets the threshold of serious harm, as defined by the Police Act, and what role, if any, police actions or inaction may have played.
The IIO is asking any person who saw the arrest or has other relevant information about the incident to please contact the IIO via the Witness Line toll-free at 1-855-446-8477 or 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.