IIO Seeks Witnesses to February 2023 Incident in Vancouver (2023-036)

INFORMATION BULLETIN
Independent Investigations Office
For Immediate Release

Surrey, B.C. — The Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia is seeking witnesses to a February 2023 arrest that occurred on Seymour Street near the intersection with Nelson Street in Vancouver.

At about 10:50 a.m. on February 12, 2023, an officer driving on northbound Seymour Street stopped upon seeing a woman who was reportedly damaging a parked, unoccupied vehicle on the east side of the street outside the Alla Ozerova Health Centre. The woman is approximately 5 feet, 6 inches tall, has a slim build and has red hair.

The officer arrested the woman, and she sustained serious injuries while being taken into custody.

The IIO is asking anyone who observed the interaction between the woman and police between 10:45 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on Seymour Street or with 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.

Incident Summary

Information provided by the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) states that at about 10:50 a.m. on February 12, 2023, an on-duty officer driving near the intersection of Seymour and Nelson streets observed a woman he believed may be committing a property crime and stopped to investigate.

It is reported that an interaction occurred between the officer and woman when she was taken into custody.

The woman was transported to VPD cells for treatment by the jail nurse, then to a local hospital for further treatment where her injuries were confirmed to be serious.

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.