The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC is investigating an RCMP arrest of someone near Squamish on June 21, 2024, and asking anyone with information to come forward.
The IIO is an independent civilian agency that oversees police behaviour in B.C.
The agency is tasked with investigating all officer-related incidents that lead to serious harm or death, regardless of whether there’s an allegation of wrongdoing.
According to an IIO news release put out on July 24, regarding the investigation of what happened that Friday in June, the RCMP say that the incident occurred when Mounties were searching for a stolen vehicle along Highway 99 near Porteau Cove.
"After locating the grey Nissan Frontier, officers searched a rural wooded area nearby and eventually located a person believed to be involved."
Officers, with the help of a police service dog, then arrested the individual.
The person was then taken to hospital for treatment.
The IIO said it was notified that day of the incident and began an investigation.
"After reviewing medical records, it has been determined the person’s injuries meet the threshold of serious harm as defined in Part 11 of the Police Act," the release states.
Serious harm is defined as “injury that may result in death, may cause serious disfigurement or may cause substantial loss or impairment of mobility of the body as a whole or of the function of any limb or organ,” according to the IIO website
The release states the investigation will work to confirm what happened during the arrest, how the injury happened, and whether police actions were “necessary, reasonable, and proportionate in the circumstances."
The IIO asks that anyone who saw the arrest or who has video footage to contact the IIO witness line toll-free at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.
