A crash involving a Burnaby RCMP cruiser last week won’t lead to an investigation by B.C.’s police watchdog.
The collision happened on Kingsway at Nelson Avenue shortly after 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 13, according to Burnaby RCMP. The police cruiser was speeding westbound on Kingsway, when it struck a car in the far right lane. A pedestrian, also in the area, was hit by the impacted vehicle when the cruiser crashed into it, Burnaby RCMP Staff Sgt. Maj. John Buis said.
The pedestrian was taken to hospital, where she remained at press deadlines.
Following the collision, the Burnaby RCMP notified the Independent Investigations Office (IIO), the provincial body that investigates possible offences committed by police officers.
The IIO confirmed it dispatched investigators to the scene to review “medical evidence” and determine whether an offence was committed.
After its review, the IIO concluded that “there was no serious harm (as defined by the Police Act),” and therefore the case did not meet the threshold required for the IIO to investigate further.
The crash happened while the officer in the police cruiser was racing to an ongoing incident at Crystal Mall where a suspected thief had been apprehended by two men. Buis said the suspect was trying to break free from the men holding him down and during his attempt, tried to injure the men.
“It’s just really unfortunate (the crash) occurred,” Buis said. “We don’t know, when we’re tasked with responding to an emergency, what is actually taking place. They said there were weapons involved.”
The suspect in the theft was eventually arrested and taken into custody. No charges have been laid yet, but investigators are putting together a report for Crown counsel, Buis said.
