B.C.’s police watchdog says it is investigating an altercation in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside over the weekend.
The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) says an altercation between police and a man occurred outside the Vancouver Jail on E. Cordova Street around 8:40 p.m. Saturday.
In a statement, the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) said one of the officers allegedly made physical contact with the man, who was later taken to hospital and released that evening.
The extent of the man’s injuries is unknown.
“We do understand that the man had previously been in custody and had been released, but as to exactly what happened outside of the cell area, we’re not sure. We’re looking into that right now,” IIO chief civilian director Ron MacDonald said.
“We’re gathering all the evidence we can, which will include witness evidence, video evidence, etcetera, to determine what occurred here.”
The VPD says it is reviewing the operational deployment status of the officers involved.
The IIO is a civilian-led agency that investigates officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death.
The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner for British Columbia is also investigating.