Mounties said a man was hospitalized on Sunday morning after he reportedly approached police with an edged weapon in Burnaby, and an officer shot him. A release from the B.C. RCMP detailed that officers were called to a home on Kingsway Avenue at around 10:15 a.m. with reports of a disturbance and encountered the man on arrival. “One officer fired their firearm, striking the man,” Mounties said. Police said B.C. Emergency Health Services provided care and transported the man to the hospital, and no one else was injured in the altercation. RCMP said they notified the Independent Investigations Office of B.C., which is now investigating the shooting, so police will release no further information on the matter. The IIO said officers responded to a “possible domestic dispute” and investigators are asking anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward. The office will now work to determine if any of the man’s injuries meet the threshold for “serious harm,” as defined under the provincial Police Act. If serious harm is established, the IIO will consider whether there is a connection between the harm and the actions or inaction of police officers. “If both conditions are met, the investigation will continue to examine all available evidence to determine what occurred,” the IIO said in its statement. “At the conclusion of the investigation, the chief civilian director will consider whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that an offence may have occurred.” The IIO is tasked with investigating all incidents involving police officers in B.C. that result in serious harm or death to a member of the public, regardless of whether there is any allegation of wrongdoing on the part of police. Anyone who witnessed the shooting or has information about the incident is asked to call the IIO witness line at 1-855-446-8477 or to fill out the contact form on the IIO’s website. With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Ian Holliday
