B.C. police watchdog asks for charges against Vancouver officer in 2022 shooting

B.C.'s independent police watchdog (IIO) has sent a report to the B.C. Prosecution Service to review potential charges against a Vancouver police officer related to a shooting on the Downtown Eastside that occurred over two years ago.

The incident took place on May 5, 2022, when Vancouver police officers responded to a report of an assault with a weapon at the Patricia Hotel on East Hastings Street.

According to Vancouver police, a confrontation occurred between officers and a man in his 40s, which led to an altercation and the shooting death of the man.

The IIO has concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that one of the officers may have committed offenses related to the use of force.

The IIO has stated that it will refrain from providing further details about the case while it is under review by the Crown.

The Vancouver police have expressed their respect for “the jurisdiction of the Independent Investigations Office to review cases where police use of force results in serious injury or death to a member of the public.”

“We will await the Crown’s independent evaluation of the evidence presented by the IIO,” the police said.

They also confirmed that the officer involved in the incident is not “currently serving in an operational capacity.”