IIO investigating police incident in Williams Lake

Aug 22, 2026 | 8:44 AM

WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. — The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) has launched an investigation where a woman was believed to have been injured by police in Williams Lake.

According to the IIO, the woman had an unspecified interaction with bylaw officers and city staff in a municipal park on May 8, 2026.

Williams Lake RCMP were dispatched to the area and told the woman she had to leave the area, but the interaction escalated, resulting in her sustaining serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The IIO said its office was notified of the incident on July 3 by the Police Accountability Unit of the BC First Nations Justice Council, which was acting on behalf of the woman.

“Investigators are asking anyone who witnessed any part of the incident, or who may have video to contact the IIO Witness Line toll-free at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the iiobc.ca website,” said the IIO.

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The organization said it considers two factors when it begins an investigation: if there has been a death or an injury that meets the threshold of serious harm as defined by the Police Act; and if that serious harm/death was connected to officer action or inaction.

“If both conditions are met, the investigation will continue to examine all available evidence to determine what occurred,” said the IIO.

“At the conclusion of the investigation, the chief civilian director will consider whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that an offence may have occurred.”

by Elora McCormack

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IIO investigating police incident in Williams Lake

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