Man accused of yelling racial slurs during Surrey vigil injured during arrest, watchdog investigating

B.C.’s civilian police watchdog is investigating after a man was injured while being arrested at a Surrey vigil for victims of the New Zealand terror attack.

According to police, Surrey RCMP officers were attending the prayer vigil outside Surrey City Hall around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday when they observed a man “acting suspiciously and disturbing the peace.”

Police said the man was allegedly yelling racial slurs and taking photos of the crowd and police vehicles.

Get daily National news

Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

Police arrested the man, and according to the Independent Investigations Office (IIO), he “went to the ground” as he was being taken into custody.

The man was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is scheduled to appear in court at a later date, police said.

The IIO will now investigate to determine if the man’s injuries are linked to actions or inactions of the police.

The IIO’s mandate is to investigate police-related incidents involving death or serious harm.