IIO is Seeking Witnesses to an April 2025 Incident in Port Hardy (2025-094)
Case: 2025-094 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 an incident in Port Hardy where one woman requiring medical assistance was found in the early morning hours of April 10, 2025.
Information from the Port Hardy RCMP states that in the evening of April 9, 2025, a woman was arrested and lodged in police cells. She was then released from custody at about 3:00 a.m. the following morning (April 10, 2025).
At about 7:45 a.m., the woman was found near the intersection of Douglas and Rupert streets, appearing to be in medical distress. She was taken to a local hospital where she was found to be in critical condition.
The IIO was notified of the incident on April 10, 2025 and is investigating. There are two factors that the IIO takes into account 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 the injury is found to be serious harm, and there is a connection to police action or inaction, the CCD will determine if there are reasonable grounds to believe an offence has been committed.
Investigators would like to speak to anyone who saw the affected person between the hours of 3:00 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. on April 10, 2025. The affected person is an Indigenous woman in her mid-20s. She is about 154 centimetres or 5 feet, 1 inch tall, of medium build and has red hair.
The IIO is asking any person with relevant information about 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.