The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) is asking crown counsel to consider charges against three officers involved in the July 8, 2021 shooting of a Wet含羞草研究社檚uwet含羞草研究社檈n man in Campbell River.
A decision is pending regarding a fourth officer involved in the incident.
Jared Lowndes, 38, was killed in a police-involved incident in the parking lot of the Willow Point Tim Hortons in Campbell River. During the incident, a police dog was also killed and the dog含羞草研究社檚 RCMP handler was injured.
According to a press release from the IIO, at about 5:30 a.m. on July 8, 2021, an officer attempted to check a parked vehicle, a blue Audi. The Audi drove away and there was contact between it and the police vehicle. The officer did not pursue at the time but told other RCMP members of the incident.
Later, at 9 a.m., the police located the vehicle again. Officers stopped the Audi in the Tim Hortons drive thru.
含羞草研究社淒uring the interaction that followed, shots were fired by police, and the man was subsequently pronounced deceased,含羞草研究社� the release says.
The IIO is not releasing further details of the interaction, saying it could 含羞草研究社減rejudice a potential prosecution.含羞草研究社�
However, IIO Chief Civilian Director Ronald J. MacDonald determined that 含羞草研究社渞easonable grounds exist to believe that three officers may have committed offences in relation to various uses of force.含羞草研究社�
The IIO is preparing a report to be submitted to BC Prosecution Service for consideration of charges in the coming months.
From there, the BC Prosecution Service can approve charges if they are 含羞草研究社渟atisfied that there is a substantial likelihood of conviction based on the evidence gathered by the IIO, and that prosecution be required in the public interest.含羞草研究社�
Lowndes含羞草研究社� family and the Pivot Legal Society held a press conference in Vancouver at 4 p.m. after being informed of the IIO含羞草研究社檚 decision by Chief Civilian Director Ronald MacDonald.
含羞草研究社淭his is the beginning of a fight that含羞草研究社檚 going to last a long time,含羞草研究社� said Laura Holland, Lowndes含羞草研究社� mother at the conference. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 time to stop killing us. We are people too.含羞草研究社�
During the conference, Holland and supporters pledged to continue putting pressure on the crown in regards to this matter and future violence towards Indigenous, Black and other racialized groups in Canada.
含羞草研究社淚t is time for police officers to be held accountable for the unnecessary use of force that too often results in the death of Indigenous community members,含羞草研究社� said a release from Pivot. 含羞草研究社淚n the 16 months since Jared含羞草研究社檚 death, there have been 74 reported incidents of in-custody deaths in B.C. alone.含羞草研究社�
The , which comes out at the end of March each year, says 含羞草研究社淚ndigenous Peoples are over-represented in IIO investigations,含羞草研究社� representing 28 per cent of people who self-identified their ethnicity, though Indigenous Peoples only represent six per cent of the province含羞草研究社檚 population.
含羞草研究社淲e will not stop making noise until this racist system is reversed,含羞草研究社� said Meenakshi Mannoe from the Pivot Legal Society. 含羞草研究社淭his IIO decision is not the same as Justice for Jared含羞草研究社� but this brings us one step closer to denouncing this racist system.含羞草研究社�
In 2021-2022, there were 12 cases referred to crown counsel for consideration of charges. That number has risen from six in 2019-2020, to eight the following year to 12 this year.
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