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A Kamloops RCMP officer has been cleared of any wrongdoing after he pushed a suspect, who was attempting to fee, to the ground breaking his jaw earlier this year.

On March 12, an officer was on patrol when he saw a group of people who appeared to be in a fight on Columbia Street West in Kamloops, according to an Independent Investigations Office of B.C. decision, the police watchdog service for the province.

The officer saw the suspect punching another man in the head and when he attempted to detain the suspect, they fled across the street. The police officer pushed the man from behind, causing him to fall and slide into the curb, injuring his jaw, according to the decision issued Nov. 25.

The man was taken to the hospital and was found to have a broken jaw.

In his decision, chief civilian director Ronald MacDonald said the police officer was lawfully executing his duty when he stepped out of his vehicle to arrest, or at least detain, the suspect.

“Whether the push from behind was entirely deliberate, entirely unintended or somewhere between the two, it was a justifiable use of force, and a safer and more appropriate way to stop a fleeing suspect than by either tripping or tackling him, football style,” MacDonald wrote.

He called the injury the man sustained “unfortunate,” but it was not a result of excessive force.

“The evidence makes it clear that no further force was used once (the man) was under control and (the police officer) demonstrated his appropriate concern for (his) wellbeing when he radioed ahead asking for paramedics to attend and provide care,” MacDonald wrote.

He said he doesn’t consider there to be any reasonable grounds to believe the officer may have committed an offence and the matter will not be referred to Crown counsel for charge consideration.

The IIO is the independent civilian oversight agency of the police in B.C. It investigates all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death, whether or not there is any allegation of wrongdoing.

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