Police-involved shooting investigated
B.C.’s police watchdog has opened an investigation into a man being shot by police in West Kelowna.
The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO BC) will investigate the case to determine if the police officer, or officers, involved broke any laws.
Information provided by the RCMP said that around 12:10 p.m. on Wednesday, October 18, police responded to a call that a firearm had been discharged in the 700-block of Harvey Avenue in Kelowna.
While police were en route, further 911 calls indicate that a man with a weapon departed the area in a vehicle.
The man was then involved in a collision on Olalla Road and subsequently entered a portable toilet on Skyline Road where he was located by police.
A short time later, it is reported that there was an interaction between the man and police, and an officer discharged their firearm.
The man sustained a gunshot-related injury and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
A RCMP release added the West Kelowna Fire Department reported that a vehicle had crashed in West Kelowna, and that when they arrived, a man exited the vehicle and they saw a gun.
When West Kelowna RCMP arrived, the vehicle was unoccupied but the suspect was located a short distance away.
“The Southeast District Emergency Response Team and a negotiator were called, but the man would reportedly not comply with directions. An interaction between the man and police occurred which resulted in the man being injured,” Staff Sgt. Kris Clark, senior media relations officer, said.
The IIO was notified of the incident shortly after it occurred and has deployed investigators to the area to commence an investigation. Initial investigative steps will seek to confirm the details of what occurred leading up to and during the interaction with police, and whether police actions were reasonable, justified, and proportionate in the circumstances.
The Kelowna RCMP Serious Crime Unit is conducting a parallel investigation into the events preceding the interaction with police.