British Columbia’s police civilian oversight agency, the Independent Investigations Office (IIO), is investigating a shooting Saturday night in East Vancouver that left a suspect seriously injured after an altercation with police.
The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) said in a statement that a witness called 911 at 8:45 p.m. to report that someone was breaking into a building near Gore Avenue and Railroad Street.
An officer who responded to the report attempted to stop a vehicle that was leaving the area. The statement said the driver failed to stop and sped off toward the area of Commercial Drive and East 2nd Avenue, where shots were fired.
Police said no officers were injured, but a 52-year-old man, who was armed with a handgun, was seriously injured during the interaction. The man was taken to hospital, where he remains in custody and under guard.
VPD says it notified the IIO shortly after because the suspect’s injuries were severe.
In its own statement, the IIO said the driver of the vehicle suffered “serious gunshot-related injuries.”
It said the investigation “will determine who fired the shots during the incident, but it is reported that the man had a weapon.”
The IIO investigates all officer-involved incidents that result in serious injury or death, whether or not there are allegations of wrongdoing.
Anyone who witnessed the events of Saturday night is asked to call 1-855-446-8477 or fill out the contact form on the IIO website.
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