VANCOUVER - British Columbia's police watchdog has concluded two investigations it launched over the summer, after concluding that neither incident met the definition of "serious harm" in the Police Act.
The first incident occurred in Vancouver on July 25. Vancouver police used a taser and a bean-bag shotgun on a man they said was "waving what appeared to be a knife" and "behaving erratically" on Victoria Drive near Kingsway.
The Vancouver Police Department notified the Independent Investigations Office of its use of non-lethal force during the incident, but the IIO initially said the case did not appear to meet its mandate.
A day after the man's arrest, the VPD notified the IIO that the man's condition had deteriorated while he was in hospital, prompting an investigation.
On Thursday, the IIO announced that it had concluded the investigation. The office said it had consulted a medical expert, who said the head injury the man sustained during his interaction with police was mild. The doctor said the man's deterioration in hospital was likely due to "previous medical conditions."
The IIO concluded that the man's injuries did not constitute "serious harm" as it is defined in the Police Act, the office said in a release.
The second incident occurred in Prince George on Sept. 12. A male cyclist was injured when officers from Prince George RCMP pursued him after witnessing what they believed to be a drug transaction.
The cyclist fled to the CN rail yard, where he suffered what was initially reported to be a serious - but non-life-threatening - injury and was taken to hospital.
On Friday, the IIO announced that it had concluded this investigation as well. The cyclist's medical records indicated that his injury was minor and would not need further treatment, the IIO said.
This case, too, did not meet the definition of serious harm, the office said.
