A Kamloops RCMP officer could be charged after an arrest on Dec. 3, 2021 that left a teenager with serious injuries.
That is according to a statement from the province’s police watchdog, the Independent Investigations Office of B.C..
The IIO say this teenager was arrested in Riverside Park after a report of a robbery and a theft at a business at the Lansdowne Village Shopping Centre.
“Officers observed a youth on a bicycle that they believed may be a suspect in both incidents near the intersection of 3rd Avenue and Lansdowne Street,” the IIO said, in a statement Monday. “The youth rode their bicycle into Riverside Park. Officers followed and took the youth into custody.”
“During the arrest, the youth sustained a serious but not life-threatening injury.”
In an update on Dec. 8, 2021, the IIO said the cyclist was no longer believed to be linked to the robbery that occurred around the time of his arrest.
While the IIO’s full report has not been made public, Chief Civilian Director Ronald MacDonald says there are reasonable grounds to believe that an officer may have committed an offence related to the use of a police vehicle.
“In order to approve any charges, the BC Prosecution Service 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 statement added.
The IIO is called to investigate all officer-related incidents in the province that result in serious harm or death, whether or not there is any allegation of wrongdoing.
