B.C. police watchdog called to fatal incident in Campbell River

The office tasked with investigating police incidents that kill or seriously injure a member of the public in B.C. was called to Campbell River on Saturday.

The Independent Investigations Office confirmed to CTV News that it had been deployed to an incident in the Vancouver Island community, but could not provide any further details as of early afternoon.

In a tweet shortly before 4 p.m., the IIO added that the incident was fatal.

A person who lives near the Park Road crime scene says she heard yelling, but couldn't make out what was being said. That was followed by a shot, more yelling and then a second shot.

Two police vehicles are inside the taped off area: one that is partially covered with a tarp and a second that appears to have made contact with a hedge near the first vehicle.

Another witness who did not want to be identified says she saw police dealing with a man “who appeared to be incoherent and out of it,” and he was face-down on the ground with his arms handcuffed behind him. The witness says police then picked up the man and put him into the back of a police vehicle while they continued with their investigation.

The witness then says after some time passed a female officer checking on the suspect yelled for assistance from the other officers. The witness says officers began performing CPR on the person for an extended period of time.

Jamie Derksen lives near where the incident happened and believes it may have been preceded by a chase.

"I heard popped tires," Derksen said. "There were two shots fired and it scared the crap out of me, so I called 911 and told them the location and they said, 'Well there's three cop cars there already, just stay in your home.'"

Neighbour Kaitlyn Williams was similarly shocked by the incident.

"I am in such disbelief that it happened outside my house, like, especially in a small town," Williams said. "It's Campbell River. I understand things have gone down in the past, but it's just becoming frequent and it's upsetting because we have small children here."

The IIO investigates all incidents involving police officers in B.C. that result in death or serious injury to a member of the public, regardless of whether there is an allegation of wrongdoing on the part of police. 

The IIO has deployed investigators to Campbell River following a fatal police-involved incident. More details to follow.

— IIOBC (@iiobc) April 2, 2022