Image Credit: IIO
IIO Investigation

Police watchdog to investigate after man injured during Sicamous RCMP arrest

Apr 15, 2020 | 5:24 PM

SICAMOUS, B.C. — The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) has announced it is looking into an incident Tuesday (Apr. 14) near Sicamous.

According to a release from the IIO, the incident began at about 12:00 noon Tuesday, when RCMP responded to the report of a suspicious person on a forest service road off Highway 97A.

Information provided by the caller led officers to believe the suspicious individual was someone known to police and wanted on outstanding arrest warrants.

In a subsequent news release from B.C. RCMP E-Division headquarters, Staff Sgt. Janelle Shoihet says the man had failed to stop for officers in a previous encounter.

Shoihet says Sicamous members called in backup from neighbouring detachments in Salmon Arm and Revelstoke.

When officers found the man, they unsuccessfully tried to stop his vehicle. He was later located when his vehicle crashed.

As officers took the man into custody, he suffered injuries described as “serious but not life-threatening”. An arresting officer was also injured.

Both the suspect and the officer were taken to hospital for treatment but have since been released. Shoihet says the officer is recovering at home and the suspect is back in police custody.

The IIO is an independent body that investigates incidents when members of the public are seriously injured or killed during interactions with B.C. police forces.