Initially, the dramatic video of a shirtless man clinging to the roof of a damaged RCMP vehicle in North Vancouver Monday evening did not prompt an investigation from B.C.’s police watchdog. The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. is tasked with looking into all instances of police use of force that result in death or serious harm to a member of the public, regardless of whether there is an allegation of wrongdoing on the part of police. Though the man falls off of the vehicle and onto the pavement at the end of the video, North Vancouver RCMP did not, initially, report the incident to the IIO, as the man’s injuries did not appear to meet the Police Act definition of “serious harm.” In a statement Friday, however, the IIO said it had “received information that some of the injuries the man sustained may be more serious in nature,” and has begun an investigation. The call came in as a request for police to assist paramedics with a medical call at Lonsdale Quay around 8 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 10, according to the IIO’s statement. The following day, a witness told CTV News he had seen a half-naked man “chasing one of the paramedics” and trying to break into an ambulance before a lone police officer arrived. The video of the incident only captures part of the altercation. It begins with the man seated atop the vehicle, apparently attempting to rip the police lights off of the roof. The police cruiser’s windshield has been smashed, and the vehicle begins slowly driving in a circle. Eventually, the man falls off the roof and onto the pavement. In its statement, the IIO said its investigators would like to speak to anyone who witnessed the incident or recorded video of it. “Specifically, investigators would also like to speak to the occupants of a grey Tesla Model Y that was nearby at the time,” the statement reads. “They are asking those people to please contact the IIO.” At this stage of its investigation, the IIO is working to determine whether the man’s injuries meet the definition of serious harm and, if so, whether there is a connection between the harm suffered and police action or inaction. If both of those conditions are met, the office will continue its investigation to determine whether there are reasonable grounds to believe any officer may have committed an offence. Anyone who witnessed Monday’s incident is asked to call the IIO witness line at 1-855-446-8477 or fill out the contact form on the agency’s website.
