B.C.’s police watchdog is investigating an incident at the Vancouver seawall this past weekend after a man was Tasered and some kind of flammable object on him caught fire.
The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. is looking to speak to witnesses who may have seen the police-involved takedown on the afternoon of Oct. 6 along the seawall near Bute and Cordova Streets.
According to a news release by the watchdog Wednesday, officers were responding at about 2:15 p.m. to complaints of a man who spat at a couple near Jack Poole Plaza and also later attempted to touch a number of women.
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Police located the suspect along the seawall. According to the IIO, the man attempted to fight with the responding officers who then deployed a conducted energy weapon, also known as a Taser. When this happened, a “flammable concealed possession” somewhere on the man ignited.
The man was taken to hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries.
B.C.’s police watchdog investigates all police-involved incidents to determine if officers’ actions or inaction may have caused injury or death.
Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to contact the IIO at 1-855-446-8477.
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