An incident where RCMP officer used a taser on a man in downtown Prince George is under investigation by the Independent Investigations Office of BC, according to a Friday, May 30 media release.
The release said that on April 25, multiple officers responded to reports of a man in a parking lot behaving erratically in the 100 block of George Street.
Police eventually tracked down a man matching the description given in the report on the 100 block of Queensway.
“A conducted energy weapon, or Taser, was used during the arrest, and the man was taken to the RCMP detachment cells,” the release said.
“Emergency health services were called to assess the man as he was believed to be in a state of psychosis. Paramedics transported him to a hospital where he was found to be suffering from a serious medical condition.”
The IIO said it was notified of the incident the same day it occurred and it is still under investigation.
The agency also said it is required to consider two factors at the beginning of each investigation: whether there was a death or serious injury that meets the threshold of serious harm under BC’s Police ACT and if there was a connection between that harm or death and either police action or inaction.
