A case involving two Vernon, B.C., mounties is being forwarded to the Crown to consider charges after a man was injured during an arrest.
The Independent Investigations Office of BC has found two members of the North Okanagan Vernon RCMP may have committed offences after a man was injured while being arrested.
The IIO filed a report with the BC Prosecution Service for consideration of charges from an incident in 2021.
According to the report, at approximately 2:40 p.m. on June 30, 2021, a man was arrested at 28th Avenue and 28 Street in Vernon. He was transported to the local RCMP detachment where Emergency Health Services attended and took him to the hospital for treatment.
On July 2, 2021, the IIO was notified of the incident by the affected person and confirmed that the man sustained serious injuries while being taken into custody.
“Upon completion of the investigation, Chief Civilian Director Ronald J. MacDonald, KC, reviewed the evidence and determined that reasonable grounds exist to believe that two officers may have committed offences in relation to the use of force,” the report says. “As a result...the IIO has forwarded a report to the BC Prosecution Service for consideration of charges.”
In order to approve any charges, the BC Prosecution Service must be satisfied there is a substantial likelihood of conviction based on the evidence gathered by the IIO, and that prosecution be required in the public interest.
While the matter is with Crown, the IIO will not be making any additional comment about the facts of this case.
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.
