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(KIM ANDERSON / iNFOnews.ca)

SALMON ARM - The B.C. Prosecution Service has released details of why no charges were approved against RCMP officers who shot a suspect following an armed robbery in Sicamous in 2015.

The prosecution service announced in May 2018 the officers involved would not be charged even though a report by the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. determined they may have committed offences. The prosecution service didn't give reasons for the lack of charges in 2018 because a related case was before the courts.

A media release from the B.C Prosecution Service issued today, May 16, says the Crown could not prove that the actions of either of the officers were excessive and therefore criminal. The release goes onto say because of this there is no substantial likelihood of conviction, so no charges were approved. Now that the case is no longer before the courts the prosecution service is explaining its reasons for not laying charges against the officers.

The suspect robbed a Sicamous gas station with an airsoft pistol he had painted black and fled at high speed in a stolen vehicle. The suspect reached speeds of 160 km/h and weaved through a police road block at speed. One officer fired at his vehicle but hit nothing.

Later that day police tracked the suspect to a derelict barn. While in the barn the officer claims the suspect hit him with a baseball and he shot the suspect several times. The suspect was taken to hospital and recovered from the gunshots.

The suspect claims he attempted to hit the officer with the baseball bat, but a police dog bit him while he was swinging and he then dropped the bat. The officer then fired at him from about five feet away.

However, according to the decision, an expert in the use of force by police officers reviewed the evidence and concluded that the actions of both officers appeared to be in line with RCMP policy.

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