The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) is looking for witnesses who saw a police-involved shooting on Thursday (June 19) evening.
At about 8 p.m., the RCMP responded to reports of a person damaging a home at the 1500 block of the Agassiz-Rosedale Highway (Highway 9) between McDonald Road and Bristol Drive. Police located the affected person, a woman outside reportedly in possession of a weapon; she went inside the home.
Witnesses reported as many as 10 shots being fired and glass breaking. IIO reports there was "an interaction" and shots were fired by the RCMP. Emergency Response Team (ERT) officers arrive and police entered the house to find the affected person suffered a gunshot injury. The woman was arrested and transported to hospital via air ambulance. The IIO was notified shortly after the incident occurred and is now investigating.
Up to 15 RCMP vehicles may have been on the scene, including the Emergency Response Team (ERT). The Agassiz Fire Department was also on scene setting up a landing zone for the air ambulance.
The IIO considers two factors at the beginning of any investigation:
1. If there has been an injury that meets the threshold of serious harm, as defined by the Police Act, or a death and
2. If there is a connection between the serious harm or death and police action or inaction.
If both conditions are met, the investigation continues to determine what happened base don evidence. When the investigation is over, the chief civilian director will consider whether there are reasonable grounds to believe an offence occurred.
The IIO asks any witnesses who have not already provided a statement or who have video footage of the icident to come forward and contact the IIO at their Witness Line at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form online at iiobc.ca.
