Vancouver police officers could face charges in the death of man in Burnaby in the summer of 2015.
Myles Gray, 33, died during an altercation with Vancouver police on South East Marine Drive by Joffre Avenue on Aug. 13, 2015.
The Vancouver Police Department said at the time that officers had been dispatched to South East Marine Drive, near the border between Burnaby and Vancouver, for reports of a man causing a disturbance in the area.
When the first officer arrived and attempted to detain Gray, the VPD said he became agitated and more officers were sent to the scene.
They tried to subdue Gray, police said, but their attempts failed and an altercation broke out, according to a media release from Vancouver police at the time.
Police said Gray and six police officers were injured.
Paramedics attempted to save Gray, but he died at the scene.
The six officers, meanwhile, were treated in hospital and released the same day.
After an investigation that took nearly three-and-a-half years to complete, the Independent Investigations Office announced Wednesday it was forwarding a report to the B.C. Prosecution Service for “consideration of charges.”
The IIO said there were a number of reasons the investigation took so long, “including a difference of opinion with a witness officer regarding the extent of their duty to cooperate under the Police Act in the context of a second interview,” according to an IIO press release.
“Also, in an effort to obtain further information regarding the cause of death, additional forensic pathology resources were sought and provided by the Coroner’s Office in 2018 in order to ensure a comprehensive investigation,” stated the release.
Gray’s mother and father launched a civil suit against the Vancouver Police Department, the Vancouver Police Board and City of Vancouver in February 2016.
