(JOHN MCDONALD / iNFOnews.ca)

Clear evidence of a police-involved shooting near Barriere last spring was lost before investigators could get to it.

Exactly how a dashcam video from an RCMP cruiser was lost isn't explained in a report from BC's police watchdog, but investigators found the officer that shot Daniel Shore near Barriere was "more likely than not" acting in self-defence.

The agency announced today, Jan. 8, it had cleared the officer of suspicion in October, but waited to release a report until a trial in Kamloops Provincial Court concluded.

Shore was shot on May 20, 2022, south of Barriere. He was driving from Kelowna to Williams Lake with his common law partner when she kicked him out along Highway 5 for a "time out," according to an Independent Investigations Office of BC report.

A driver passing by then saw Shore on the side of the road carrying a rifle and called police to the scene.

Two officers got to the scene in separate vehicles. The second, who did not shoot Shore, saw him "rack" the rifle then get down in a prone position.

The first officer at the scene shot Shore with his service pistol, which was the only bullet fired at the scene. On the ground near Shore was an unfired .22 round that fell out as he pulled back the slide.

Shore, who was later tried on firearms charges, took the bullet through his left arm into his chest, according to the report.

When investigators from the independent investigations office went to retrieve dashcam footage from the officer's car, they found no video footage of the shooting on the computer.

The Watchguard dashcam system was turned on, displaying a warning message that its memory was almost full and it contained a video from after the shooting. Police had been instructed not to activate the system until all of its data could be downloaded, according to the report.

The officer did not speak to watchdog investigators, but his lawyer did provide a statement, which said he didn't touch the system after the shooting.

An RCMP civilian employee, however, told investigators the "only way" the subsequent recording could have occurred was if a USB stick transferred previous data off the computer to create more room.

Although the second officer saw Shore get down, telling investigators he believed Shore was complying with orders, he also said he didn't hear the gun shot that pierced Shore's arm and chest.

Shore, meanwhile, claimed the officer walked nonchalantly close to him and shot him "gangster-style," holding the handgun sideways in one hand. He also told investigators the safety was set on his own rifle and pointed toward the ground.

Investigators found Shore's account to be unreliable, conflicting with some of the evidence they already had.

Chief civilian officer Ronald J. MacDonald found it likely the officer who shot Shore was acting in self-defence due to a perceived threat from Shore, clearing him from any wrongdoing.

While Shore was not only injured in the shooting, he was also criminally charged. Last month, he was found guilty of pointing a firearm, possessing a firearm without a licence and contrary to a court order, according to court records.

He was given a time-served sentence on Dec. 19, followed by an 18-month probation term.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here.

News from © iNFOnews, 2024