B.C.’s Independent Investigations Office is investigating how a man sustained serious injuries in police cells at the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP detachment in November 2021.
On Nov. 20, 2021, RCMP arrested a man on West Shawnigan Lake Road and brought him to the detachment.
An IIO statement says there was an interaction between the man and police while the man was being lodged in cells, and the man sustained injuries. “During the night, the man was transported to a local hospital and released from police custody.”
The man made a complaint to the RCMP on Nov. 16, 2022. The RCMP notified the IIO on Jan. 5 “and initial investigative steps have confirmed that the man sustained serious harm, as defined by the Police Act,” says the statement.
An IIO investigation is underway to determine the details of the interaction and whether any officer committed an offence.
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.
