Woman injured during police encounter in Valleyview store; IIO looking for witnesses

KAMLOOPS — B.C.’s police watchdog is searching for witnesses to a violent interaction between a woman and Kamloops RCMP officers in Valleyview earlier this week. 

According to information provided by Kamloops RCMP, the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) says an off-duty officer saw a woman in a store on the 2100-block of Trans-Canada Highway East striking items on the shelves with an “edged weapon.” 

In a news release issued Thursday (May 7), the IIO says the off-duty officer followed the woman into another store on the property and tried to intervene. On-duty officers then arrived at the second store at around 5:30 p.m. Monday (May 4) when police used “less lethal force options” that injured the woman.