Vancouver police officer could face charges over takedown involving police dog

British Columbia’s civilian police watchdog has opened the door to potential charges against a Vancouver police officer on use of force grounds.

The Independent Investigations Office says it has filed a report with Crown counsel over the actions of the officer during a Sept. 20, 2020 arrest in East Vancouver.

According to the IIO, police were responding to a report of a man lying under a parked vehicle on 13th Avenue, just east of Clark Drive around 2:30 in the morning.

2:05 IIO investigates 5th officer-involved death in five weeks

The IIO said when police arrived, the man got on a bicycle and tried to leave. Officers pursued on foot, and the man was arrested with the assistance of a police dog.

“During the take-down and arrest, the man sustained serious injuries,” the IIO said in a media release.

A review of the evidence by IIO chief civilian director Ronald MacDonald determined there were reasonable grounds to believe an officer may have committed an offence during the arrest.

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The file is now in the hands of Crown prosecutors, who will decide whether or not to approve a charge.

The IIO’s mandate is to investigate all police-related incidents that result in serious injury or death, regardless of whether there is any allegation of wrongdoing.