Image Credit: Contributed / Nathan Ritchie

By James Peters

IIO

RCMP say man injured in Brocklehurst arrest was hit with ‘less-lethal shotgun’

Jun 25, 2020 | 8:49 AM

KAMLOOPS — B.C. RCMP headquarters has provided more details about an incident in Kamloops this week that has triggered the involvement of the Independent Investigations Office (IIO).

The incident took place Tuesday night (June 23) in Brocklehurst. A man was injured when RCMP officers took him into custody after responding to a weapons complaint.

In a news release late Wednesday, RCMP E-Division Senior Media Relations Officer Staff Sgt. Janelle Shoihet said a caller reported a man had been chasing a woman with what looked like a gun.

Once officers surrounded the home, a woman left without incident while a man did not exit immediately.

Shoihet says when the man did come out, it’s alleged he did not follow police directions, leading to an officer firing at him from a “less-lethal shotgun.”

The man’s injuries are described as serious but not life-threatening, and once he was in custody, he was taken to hospital for treatment.

Shoihet says the initial call relating to a man chasing a woman with a gun was false, and RCMP will pursue a public mischief investigation relating to the call.

The IIO will determine whether the responding officers were justified in the actions that may have resulted in the man’s injuries.