Image credit: IIO

By Aaron Schulze

IIO BC

B.C.’s police watchdog finds “no credible evidence” Kamloops RCMP officers dislocated man’s shoulder during arrest

Sep 16, 2024 | 11:14 AM

KAMLOOPS — B.C.’s police watchdog says Kamloops RCMP officers were not responsible for a man’s dislocated shoulder in February 2023.

In a news release issued Monday (Sept. 16), the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) says the Kamloops officers were not using excessive, unnecessary or unreasonable force against the man who was found intoxicated in a public place and allegedly threatened a doctor.

The incident began on Feb. 17, 2023, when RCMP were called to a doctor’s office for complaints of a man who was intoxicated and aggressive. IIO states cell block video showed the man pulling away from the officers as they tried to remove his cuff, and he was ultimately dragged to a cell to have them taken off.

IIO state while a witness officer recalled concerns that the man may have been injured, they told police he did not want an ambulance called and was not willing to go to hospital.

The IIO file was initially opened after the man called the witness officer on March 22, 2023, to say his should was dislocated and would require surgery. IIO says it discovered the man didn’t seek treatment and there was no confirmation of his reported injury.

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However, in June 2023, the file was reopened after the man contacted IIO again. IIO says by the time it could contact the man, they had been to a doctor and medical information was available.

When asked how he managed to wait seven weeks before going to a hospital for his dislocated shoulder, the man told IIO he had a high pain threshold and there was no other event that could have caused his injury. IIO states police dashcam video contradicts the man’s perspective.

“It will be seen from the timeline set out above that there is at least some doubt about the [man’s] claim that the dislocation of his shoulder occurred during his arrest and detention in February, 2023, with a realistic possibility that it may have actually occurred at some point closer to his attendance for treatment several weeks later,” Sandra Hentzen, IIO interim chief civilian director states. “If it did indeed happen at the time of his arrest, there is no credible evidence that it was the result of any unjustifiable use of force by any of the involved officers.”

The full report can be found here.