Saanich law enforcement officials’ determination to shoot a person with plastic projectiles and unleash a police canine on him, leaving him critically injured, was “near the road,” says B.C.’s civilian-led police-oversight company.
The Impartial Investigations Workplace report mentioned whereas police have a major quantity of latitude when deciding about utilizing power, the Might 2022 case “represents the very higher restrict of that licence.”
“Whereas I might not name that use of power commendable, neither can I name it felony,” mentioned Ron MacDonald, the IIO’s chief civilian director.
He mentioned there aren’t any cheap grounds to conclude any officer had dedicated an offence.
The report mentioned the injured man — who has been identified with Asperger’s syndrome — was by no means actively immune to police however was “doggedly non-compliant.”
Asperger’s syndrome is a type of autism that may trigger problem with social interplay.
MacDonald mentioned police weren’t coping with a vicious felony on this case “however somebody with behavioural challenges making an attempt to cope with a tenancy dispute in his own residence.”
The report mentioned the scenario unfolded when the person accompanied his mom as she went to serve an eviction discover to a tenant residing in an upstairs suite at their two-level dwelling.
When the tenant didn’t co-operate, the person used a hammer to repeatedly strike the suite’s door.
The tenant mentioned he was frightened and known as police. Officers arrived, and a standoff that lasted greater than two hours ensued when the person refused to come back down the steps on the entrance of the home.
The person mentioned he finally began to slowly come down the steps when he and the officers “got here to an understanding,” however he acknowledged he didn’t increase his palms as directed. He additionally didn’t lie down on the bottom when informed to take action.
He mentioned he was shocked when he was shot twice with plastic projectiles from a non-lethal weapon. The canine then got here at him and bit him on the arm.
Whereas the report famous that the person had acted with “vital violence” and wouldn’t inform officers the place the hammer was, it mentioned any concern that the person would possibly produce the hammer and use it as a weapon towards police was “considerably fanciful.”
The hammer later turned up on the bottom beside the steps.
Paramedics had been known as to are likely to the person.