The West Shore RCMP has been cleared of any wrongdoing in relation to a suicidal man who was seriously injured after being subdued by a conducted energy weapon (CEW) and police service dog last spring.

Because the manB次元官网网址檚 injuries occurred in connection to the actions of police, the Independent Investigation Office (IIO) was notified to investigate whether B次元官网网址渦nauthorized or excessive force was used by any officer.B次元官网网址�

A report released on April 7 states the officers involved were faced with a situation that was B次元官网网址渂ound to give rise to a very high-risk assessment,B次元官网网址� but they exercised restraint by trying, over an extended period of time, to take the man into custody without harm.

RELATED: Man Tasered in View Royal after West Shore RCMP respond to disturbance call

Just after 1:30 a.m. on April 22, 2019, RCMP received two 911 calls B次元官网网址� one from a manB次元官网网址檚 mother who told police her son was suicidal and was planning to jump off a bridge, the second was from the man himself stating that he was planning to inject himself with a syringe filled with gasoline.

RCMP were able to locate the man through cell phone B次元官网网址榩ingsB次元官网网址� in an area of grass and shrubs off the Island Highway in View Royal. The man was holding a backpack with one hand inside and told the officer to B次元官网网址渂ack up.B次元官网网址� Two officers, accompanied by a police service dog, engaged the man in conversation for several minutes B次元官网网址� audio recordings of this interaction corroborated witness officer statements provided to the IIO. As RCMP worked to de-escalated the situation and get the man to a hospital, he told the officers that they would have to B次元官网网址渟hoot or taseB次元官网网址� him.

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Officers noted the man continued to have one hand in the backpack and was B次元官网网址渢witching as if he was about to pull something from the bag,B次元官网网址� states the report. One of the responding officers drew his firearm and told the man B次元官网网址渋t doesnB次元官网网址檛 have to be like this,B次元官网网址� to which the man responded stating that he had tried to kill himself five times and this was B次元官网网址渢he way [he] want[ed] it.B次元官网网址�

As more officers arrived on the scene, the man walked toward the nearby Upper Gorge waterway, threatening to jump in.

One of the officers told the IIO that it became clear that the man was determined to have police officers use their weapons on him.

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The man continued to taunt police, demanding they use their B次元官网网址淭asersB次元官网网址� on him and stating that if he moved his hand B次元官网网址� which was still in the backpack B次元官网网址� quickly, the police would B次元官网网址渓aunch somethingB次元官网网址� at him. Finally, the man told the officers he was B次元官网网址済onna make one of [them] do something.B次元官网网址� He stepped toward officers and motioned as if he was going to withdraw his hand quickly from the backpack. At that point, one of the officers discharged his CEW while another officer sent the police dog after the man.

The man fell to the ground and police were able to put him in handcuffs. The police dog bit him in the leg, which would later require 82 staples to close.

The IIO report states the man presented a credible threat by keeping his hand in the backpack and B次元官网网址減retending at any moment he would draw and use some sort of weapon.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淭hrough his own, quite deliberate actions, [the man] placed himself at risk of the use by police of lethal force,B次元官网网址� states the report, adding that it was fortunate less lethal options were available for the officers to use.

kendra.crighton@blackpress.ca
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