A B.C. police watchdog is investigating after a man reported he was seriously injured during his arrest in Victoria last summer.
Victoria police responded to a disagreement between a man and his friend in the 1000-block of Johnson Street on Aug. 30, 2023.
Officers then arrested the man, who claims he sustained a serious, but not life-threatening injury while being removed from a police vehicle before being lodged in VicPD cells.
The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) started its investigation after being notified about the incident on March 6. The IIO on Tuesday (March 26) said its initial investigative work appears to confirm the man’s injury meets the threshold of serious harm under the Police Act.
The investigation will determine what role, if any, police actions or inaction played in causing the injury.
The IIO is asking anyone with relevant information about the incident to contact its witness line toll-free at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website.
READ: Cyclist injured in Langford crash with off-duty cop in unmarked police car