A Vancouver police officer may have committed an offence when their vehicle collided with a woman, B.C.’s police oversight watchdog has reported to Crown prosecutors.
The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of B.C. said Aug. 22 that a Vancouver Police Department officer responding to an incident was involved in a collision with a female pedestrian in the 1600-block of Commercial Drive on the evening of Sept. 29, 2023.
“At the time, it is reported that the woman declined assistance from Emergency Health Services and sought medical treatment independently,” the IIO said. “The woman received some assistance from firefighters at the scene."
Still, IIO was notified by the VPD on Oct. 23, 2023 that the woman sustained an injury.
Investigators later determined the woman’s injury meets the threshold of serious harm as defined by the provincial Police Act.
“Upon completion of the investigation, Interim Chief Civilian Director Sandra J. Hentzen reviewed the evidence and determined that reasonable grounds exist to believe that the officer may have committed an offence in relation to the use of their police vehicle," the IIO said.
Still, in order to approve any charges, the BC Prosecution Service must be satisfied that there is a substantial likelihood of conviction based on the evidence gathered by the IIO, and that prosecution be required in the public interest.
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.
The IIO announced an investigation into the incident on Oct. 24, 2023.
