Vancouver police notify watchdog after man shot with rubber bullets during mistaken arrest

Vancouver police have notified the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner after officers shot a man with rubber bullets during a mistaken arrest last week.

Elijah Barnett told Global News he was walking his dog in Yaletown shortly after 5 p.m. on Wednesday when the incident happened.

“The next thing I know I’m on the ground, thought I’d been hit by a car first, and realized I was being swarmed by police and K-9 units, I’d been shot twice with nonlethal rounds in the gut and the butt, but they were beating at me and ripping at my clothes, questioning where my girlfriend was and why I’d covered up my tattoos,” he said.

“I was cuffed and roughed up in broad daylight and detained for over two hours. After they realized their error, I was dusted off and sent on my way with a blatant, empty apology.”

In a media release, Vancouver police said they were acting on “reliable information” that a man wanted on a Canada-wide warrant was in the area of Richards Street and Pacific Boulevard last Wednesday.

Police said the man they were seeking is wanted for connections to a violent Calgary home invasion, and that he was believed to be “armed and dangerous, and potentially in possession of a firearm.”

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Police said they deployed their emergency response team because of the “high-risk nature” of the arrest and that officers shot the person they were arresting twice with rubber bullets from a “less-lethal” ARWEN gun.

“We believed the man we were arresting was that suspect. And we’d taken a number of steps to independently confirm the man we were arresting was that man,” VPD Sgt. Steve Addison told Global News.

“It’s really an unfortunate set of circumstances.”

0:58 Vancouver police defend use of beanbag gun

Addison said police realized the error “within several minutes of the arrest” and that the man was treated at the scene and released with an apology.

“Senior VPD officials” later reached out to apologize as well, he said.

“We’re asking the OPCC just to independently review all of the circumstances, to drill down a little bit more to find out exactly what happened, what could have been done differently and if anything could be improved on for next time.”

Barnett said the incident left him with cuts, scrapes and bruises all over his body and has left him traumatized and seeking counselling.

He added he’s “exploring all the options” to ensure the same thing doesn’t happen to someone else.

“I’m terrified to be outside alone, I can’t be around any large dogs whatsoever without having a panic attack — I would like to see the officers responsible charged with violent crimes against me, but I’d like to see their weapons licensing revoked and suspensions without pay,” he said.

“I feel that the statement released by Vancouver police is a copout.”