B.C.’s police watchdog isn’t saying much about an investigation into a "motor vehicle incident" in Burnaby that resulted in "serious injury" to a man this summer.
The New Westminster Police Department told the Independent Investigations Office that NWPD had tried to stop a vehicle near the intersection of Edmonds Street and Humphries Avenue in Burnaby at about 7:40 p.m. on Aug. 18, according to a new release Thursday.
The vehicle police tried to stop was then involved in a crash with another nearby vehicle, and two occupants were arrested, the release said.
The IIO was notified on Aug. 20, according to the release, and launched an investigation, "with further information revealing the affected person had suffered a serious injury."
"Investigative steps will seek to confirm the details of police actions leading up to and during the incident," the release said. "They will also seek to determine if any injuries meet the threshold of serious harm as defined in the Police Act."
Burnaby RCMP said it couldn't comment on the incident or say whether it is investigating the crash.
The IIO said it couldn't provide any information except what was in the release, including why the agency was announcing the investigation a month-and-a-half after the incident.
"To preserve the integrity of the investigation, the IIO is not able to make statements or release information that may contaminate witnesses," media liaison Simon Druker said in an emailed statement.
Here are the questions the IIO declined to answer:
- When did the IIO start its investigation?
- Was the serious harm discovered at the scene or later?
- Was the injured man one of the two people arrested?
- Was the man injured as a result of the crash or during the arrest?
Anyone with information or video footage of the incident is asked to contact the IIO 1-855-446-8477 or iiobc.ca.
Follow Cornelia Naylor on Twitter @CorNaylor
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