Police officer cleared in injury to suspect

A police officer in West Kelowna will not be facing charges after a suspect was injured during an arrest.

The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO BC) was tasked with investigating the incident, which occurred near the intersection of Elliot and Gossett roads on the evening of February 28, 2023.

The IIO learned that the officer responded to a report of a hit and run and was directed by a civilian witness to the male suspect allegedly involved in the car collision walking away from the scene.

The officer reportedly attempted to apprehend the individual, and during the arrest, the suspect was taken to the ground, suffering broken bones in his face in the process.

The officer’s statement to the IIO, backed up by witness statements, claimed the suspect was not cooperating with the officer’s order to stop walking away. The officer then grabbed the man, but he tried to pull away, and then the officer and suspect slipped in the snowy, icy conditions.

A second officer responding to the call arrived on the scene shortly after the suspect was taken down. The witness officer said the suspect was “amped up” and yelling, adding he smelled of alcohol.

An ambulance was called to the scene but the suspect refused medical treatment. He was then taken to hospital where he was treated for fractured orbital bones (eye sockets) and nasal fractures.

The suspect did not provide a written statement to IIO BC investigators, but claimed his injuries came from being kicked, though his claims were not supported by the evidence of the injuries or the witness statements.

The IIO BC report stated “it is unfortunate that [the suspect] was injured during this incident. However, I cannot conclude that the amount of force used was unreasonable.”

The report went on to say there were no reasonable grounds to believe the officer had committed an offence and that the matter would not be referred to Crown counsel for consideration of charges.