(JOHN MCDONALD / iNFOnews.ca)
January 30, 2025 - 3:00 PM
B.C.'s police watchdog has closed the investigation into the injuries sustained by a man in Kelowna during an arrest in the summer of 2022.
Kelowna RCMP were called about the driver of a red Ford F-150 pickup on Aug. 14, 2022 who was slurring his words and blocking traffic in an alley on Aug. 14, 2022, according to a press release from the Independent Investigations Office of BC.
The truck drove off as police approached and before officers had a chance to speak to the driver.
Shortly before 10 p.m. that same night, police found the same truck near a fruit stand in the 3000-block of Benvoulin Road. Officers tried to arrest the driver who injured an officer when he attempted to drive away.
"The driver, who is paralyzed, was eventually taken into custody, with what police at the time believed to be minor injuries suffered during the arrest," the release read.
Two years later, in August 2024, the IIO was notified of the incident. The man told Kelowna RCMP his injuries during the 2022 arrest met the definition of serious harm under the Police Act.
Chief civilian director Jessica Berglund looked through the evidence including medical records, witness statements and police information. She found the man’s injuries didn't meet the threshold of serious harm.
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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