Two Vernon North Okanagan RCMP officers could be charged for an alleged use of force that sent a man to hospital.
At approximately 2:40 p.m. on June 30, 2021, a man was arrested in the 2800-block of 28th Street in Vernon. He was transported to the local RCMP detachment where Emergency Health Services attended and took him to the hospital for treatment.
The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC was notified on July 2, 2021 of the incident by the affected person and confirmed that the man sustained serious injuries while being taken into custody.
Upon completion of the investigation, Chief Civilian Director Ronald J. MacDonald, KC, reviewed the evidence and determined that reasonable grounds exist to believe that two officers may have committed offences in relation to the use of force.
As a result, the IIO has forwarded a report to the BC Prosecution Service for consideration of charges.
In order to approve any charges, prosecution must be satisfied that there is a substantial likelihood of conviction based on the evidence gathered by the IIO, and that prosecution be 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.
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