Charges recommended against police officer

A police watchdog agency is recommending charges be laid against a Kelowna RCMP officer after an incident where shots were fired.

The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. looked into an incident on Dec. 22, 2019 where an officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop in Kelowna on Highway 97.

A pickup truck, driven by a man who is the affected person in the case, did not stop and instead turned off Highway 97 onto residential streets. The officer pursued and when they reached a dead-end street, an interaction occurred between the man and the officer which resulted in shots being fired by the officer.

The driver of the truck was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

“Upon completion of the investigation, Chief Civilian Director Ronald J. MacDonald, QC has reviewed the evidence and determined that reasonable grounds exist to believe that an officer may have committed offences in relation to the pursuit and use of a firearm,” stated a news release from the IIO. “As a result, and pursuant to Section 38.11 of the Police Act, the IIO has forwarded a report to the BC Prosecution Service for consideration of potential charges.”

The agency said in order to approve the charges, the Prosecution Service must be satisfied there is substantial likelihood of conviction based on the evidence gathered by the IIO, and that prosecution is 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.