IIO clears Saanich police after man seriously injured in fall at Uptown mall

B.C.'s police watchdog has cleared the Saanich Police Department of wrongdoing after a man fell and seriously injured himself at Uptown mall on Nov. 26.
At the time, Saanich police said they had been called to the Walmart at Uptown shopping centre for reports of a shoplifter.
The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. says surveillance video from the area, as well as civilian and police reports, indicate that the man began to flee as soon as he saw a police vehicle arrive.
The IIO says a video shows the man climb over a fence and shortly after fall about six to 7.5 metres to the ground below, while the closest officer was still "some distance" away.
"There was no physical or verbal contact between the man and officer," said the IIO in a release Wednesday.
The IIO says its investigation into the matter is now over.
The independent police oversight agency investigates all police-involved matters that result in serious harm or death, regardless of if there have been allegations of wrongdoing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada tracked suspected Chinese spy balloon over Canadian airspace since last weekend: sources
The suspected Chinese surveillance balloon that was found floating over sensitive military sites in the western United States had been tracked by Canada's government since last weekend as it passed through Canadian airspace, sources tell CTV News.

Oldest preserved vertebrate brain found in 319-million-year-old fish fossil
The oldest preserved vertebrate brain has been found in a 319-million-year-old fossilized fish skull that was removed from an English coal mine over a century ago.
Former NHL-er Ted Nolan among Indigenous players honoured in new hockey card series
It took 40 years, but former NHL player and coach Ted Nolan is now one of eight Indigenous ex-NHL-ers being honoured hockey trading cards as a part of Upper Deck's First Peoples Rookie Card series.
B.C. man who was mistaken for target, shot by police in 2013 has lawsuit dismissed
A B.C. man who was mistaken for the target in a police takedown and shot by an officer in 2013 has had his lawsuit alleging negligence dismissed.
Bodies are those of 3 rappers missing nearly 2 weeks: Detroit police
Three bodies found in a vacant Detroit-area apartment building have been identified as those of three aspiring rappers who went missing nearly two weeks ago, police said Friday.
Maid's son tells judge Alex Murdaugh took US$4M for her death
For much of disgraced South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh's double murder trial, witnesses have talked about a generous and loving man -- but prosecutors want jurors to know that same man stole over US$4 million from his housekeeper's relatives after she died at work, and killed his wife and son to cover up his crimes.
Japanese prime minister's aide leaving over LGBTQ2S+ remarks
A senior aide to Japan's prime minister is being dismissed after making discriminatory remarks about LGBTQ2S+ people.
Jury: Musk didn't defraud investors with 2018 Tesla tweets
A jury on Friday decided Elon Musk didn't deceive investors with his 2018 tweets about electric automaker Tesla.
Stars disappearing before our eyes faster than ever: report
A new research from a citizen science program suggests that stars are disappearing before our eyes at an 'astonishing rate.'