B.C.’s police watchdog has cleared Duncan police officers in a case where a woman was seriously injured while being arrested after she was reported to be waving a weapon at vehicles.
North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP responded to reports from the public that the woman had a weapon at the intersection of Underwood and Craig streets about 2:05 p.m. on Nov. 29, 2024.
The woman was located near Allenby Road, not far from the Cowichan River, and sustained a serious injury that required hospital treatment while police were taking her into custody.
The case was investigated by the Independent Investigations Office, which deals with police-involved cases that result in death or serious harm.
After reviewing the evidence, including witness statements, police records and medical details, IIO chief civilian director Jessica Berglund ruled “that there are no reasonable grounds to believe any officer may have committed an offence,” the case report said.
The full report on her findings will not be publicly released until a concurrent police investigation has concluded.
The IIO called for witnesses in another Vancouver Island case, a Jan. 5 incident in Courtenay in which a man was injured when police attempted to arrest him.
Comox Valley RCMP responded about 11 p.m. that night to a call about a possibly impaired driver in an SUV on Mansfield Drive.
The SUV, a Cadillac Escalade, was located in a hotel parking lot on Cliffe Avenue and police attempted to arrest the man inside. The IIO report said there was an “interaction” between the man and officers while he was detained, and the man was injured. He was taken to hospital for treatment.
Anyone who saw the incident and has not yet given a statement to police, as well as anyone with relevant video footage, is asked to call the IIO witness line at 1-855-446-8477 or contact the agency via the contact form at iiobc.ca.
Once the investigation is complete, Berglund will determine whether an offence was committed.
-thumb.png;w=120;h=80;mode=crop)
