The provincial police watchdog is investigating after a man was seriously injured while being arrested in Abbotsford.
The incident occurred following a standoff on Thursday, May 21, that lasted several hours, Abbotsford Police told the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) – the body tasked with investigating police incidents that end with injuries to citizens.
On the day of the incident, Abbotsford Police posted on Facebook that “a man has been taken into AbbyPD custody without incident.”
But on Friday, the IIO issued a news release that said police told them the man – who reportedly had a weapon and had holed up in a hotel room – sustained serious injuries while being arrested.
The IIO said in the release:
“Information provided by the Abbotsford Police Department indicates that on May 21, 2020 at approximately 2:00 p.m., officers responded to a report of a man, the affected person in this case, who was alleged to have a weapon in a hotel room in the 2000-block of Clearbrook Road.
“Police initiated containment procedures and deployed further resources to the incident. After several hours of attempted negotiation, officers forced entry to apprehend him. During the course of his arrest, the affected person sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries.”
The IIO is hoping to speak to anyone with information about the incident. Witnesses can call 1-855-446-8477.
The News has asked the Abbotsford Police for more information about the situation.
