IIO investigating after man driving construction vehicle shot, seriously injured by police in Duncan, B.C.
A man was taken to hospital with serious injuries following a police shooting in Duncan, B.C., on Tuesday evening.
Around 9:15 p.m., the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP say they received a report that a man appeared to be impaired while driving a skid-steer loader on a residential street.
Parkside Place in Duncan, B.C., is pictured on March 29, 2023. (CTV News)
Police say they tracked down the construction vehicle and tried to get the driver to stop, but were unable to do so.
Mounties say there were "several collisions" between the skid-steer and police cruisers during the incident.
A witness tells CTV News that police were ramming and chasing the vehicle along Somenos Road near Evans Park around 9:40 p.m.
The witness adds that the construction vehicle could be heard driving around the neighbourhood before police arrived.
"During the interaction that followed, one officer discharged their weapon, striking the driver," said RCMP in a release Wednesday.
"Emergency Health Services were called and the man was transported to hospital with serious injuries."
The construction vehicle is pictured. (CTV News)
Mounties contacted the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of B.C. following the shooting.
The IIO confirmed it has deployed a team to the Duncan area to review the police-involved shooting.
"It is reported that there was contact between the loader and police vehicles. An interaction followed, and shots were fired by police," the IIO said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.
"The man was transported to a hospital for treatment of a serious, life-threatening injury."
The construction vehicle is pictured. (CTV News)
The IIO is called whenever a police-involved incident results in serious harm or death, regardless of if there have been allegations of wrongdoing.
The RCMP say they will not release further information on the incident since it is now under review by the IIO.
The IIO is asking anyone with information or video of the incident to contact the organization's witness line at 1-855-446-8477 or use the contact form on the iiobc.ca website
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Hundreds of American firefighters arrive in Canada to help battle wildfires
Hundreds of American firefighters have recently arrived in Canada to help battle wildfires and more are on the way, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Wednesday.

Can face masks help protect you from wildfire smoke? Health expert explains
An official recommendation to wear a mask to protect yourself from wildfire smoke is being echoed by health experts as plumes of smoke make their way across parts of Canada, causing poor air quality.
Here's how major cities in Canada and the U.S. look blanketed by wildfire smoke
Photos show smoke-filled skies in cities across Canada and the U.S. as air quality warnings were issued in wake of the hundreds of wildfires from Quebec and Ontario.
'Very, very hard to breathe': Experts call wildfires a 'major public health concern' for Canada
As forest fires rage across the country, experts are sounding the alarm over the physical and psychological impacts of the wildfires and saying that they pose a serious public health issue, which individuals and governments need to acknowledge and act upon.
WATCH | Rate hike 'may be the last straw' for some homeowners: mortgage broker
With the latest hike bringing Canada's key interest rates to levels not seen since 2001, one mortgage broker is warning that it may be 'the last straw' for some homeowners with variable mortgages.
Canadians more likely to support foreign interference inquiry than hearings: Nanos
Canadians are twice as likely to support a formal inquiry into foreign interference, as opposed to public hearings, according to new polling from Nanos Research for CTV News.
opinion | Eight takeaways from Prince Harry's seven hours on the witness stand
It's been a busy, tumultuous few days for Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex as he took his place on the witness stand in his trial against the Mirror Group Newspapers. Here are royal commentator Afua Hagan's top takeaways from his two-day grilling.
Calgary mass killer Matthew de Grood seeks 'absolute discharge'
The man who was found not criminally responsible in the stabbing deaths of five people at a house party in Brentwood more than nine years ago is seeking more freedoms.
Trudeau shows no interest in compromising with Meta, Google over online news bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is showing no interest in compromising with Meta and Google over a Liberal bill that would make them pay for Canadian journalism that helps the companies generate revenue.