An investigation has been launched after a man had to be taken to hospital after being arrested.
The incident being looked into by the Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia started in Kelowna and ended in Sicamous Monday morning.
RCMP Staff Sgt. Janelle Shoihet said just before 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 28, front line officers in Kelowna were called to a report of an erratic driver traveling on Highway 97 near Lake Country.
It was reported the vehicle was straying from its lane of travel.
“The vehicle was located by Armstrong RCMP front line officers and attempts were made to stop the vehicle, however the driver failed to stop and continued, allegedly narrowly missing a police officer as it fled,” said Shoihet. “A short time later, Sicamous and Salmon Arm RCMP front line officers stopped the vehicle in an area south of Sicamous, prior to speaking to the driver, the vehicle again fled.”
The driver and vehicle were later located and stopped in Malakwa, 20 km northeast of Sicamous.
“When officers attempted to take the man into custody, he allegedly resisted. Officers deployed a Conducted Energy Weapon and the man was handcuffed, but then went into medical distress,” said Shoihet. “The 38-year-old man was transported to a local area hospital by BC Emergency Health Services where he remains in critical condition.”
The RCMP is conducting a concurrent criminal investigation, including damage to two police vehicles and IIO BC is now investigating to determine whether police actions or inactions are linked to the man’s injuries. As the matter is now under investigation by the IIO BC, no further information will be released by police.
Shoihet said all aspects and circumstances of this incident will be the subject of independent investigation and verification by the IIO BC. For more information about the IIO BC and media updates, click here.
— Castanet, Darren Handschuh
