SURREY, B.C. — British Columbia's police watchdog says it has sent a report to the Crown asking it to consider charges linked to an arrest in Vancouver 18 months ago.
A statement from the Independent Investigations Office says a man was seriously injured while being arrested by a Vancouver police officer on June 9, 2019.
In a news release issued shortly after the incident, the office said the man told independent investigators he was walking near Strathcona Park and spoke with a uniformed officer in an unmarked SUV.
The man said he was injured while being tackled and arrested following the conversation.
Ronald MacDonald, the office's chief civilian director, says in the statement posted online Tuesday that he has reviewed the completed investigation and determined "reasonable grounds exist to believe that an officer may have committed offences" related to the use of force.
Before it can approve charges, MacDonald says the prosecution service must be satisfied there is "substantial likelihood" of conviction based on the evidence gathered by his office, and that a prosecution is in the public interest.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 5, 2020.
The Canadian Press
