B.C.’s police watchdog has concluded police dog bites sustained by an alleged car thief during his arrest did not meet the threshold for “serious harm.”
The Independent Investigations Office, which investigates police-involved incidents that result in death or serious harm, was called to Burnaby after an incident on July 28, 2022.
At about 3 p.m. that day, police investigating an alleged stolen vehicle tried to take a man into custody in the 3700 block of Still Creek Road, according to information provided to the IIO by the Vancouver Police Department and Burnaby RCMP.
“Two police service dogs were used to assist in the arrest, and the man sustained dog-bite related injuries that are believed to be serious but not life-threatening,” stated an IIO news release at the time.
After an investigation including video footage, medical information, police records and a statement from the bitten man, however, the police watchdog’s chief civilian director determined the dog bites didn’t meet the Police Act’s threshold for serious harm, meaning the incident doesn't fall under the IIO's jurisdiction.
“The IIO investigation is now concluded,” stated a news release Monday.
Follow Cornelia Naylor on Twitter @CorNaylor
Email [email protected]
