The province’s police watchdog says two VPD officers who fired during a Nov. 30, 2024 carjacking response will not face criminal charges.
The Story
Two Vancouver Police Department officers involved in the shooting of a carjacking suspect in November 2024 will not face criminal charges, according to a report by the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) published Friday.
The IIO said the incident began around 4 a.m. on Nov. 30, 2024, when the VPD received a report that a BMW had been stolen at knifepoint on Main Street.
Police located the vehicle driving at high speed in different areas of the city, the report said, before it was later found parked at the side of a residential street.
The IIO reported that officers then pulled an unmarked police vehicle “across in front of it,” and that two officers in plain clothes approached on foot, positioning one on either side of the stolen vehicle.
Shortly after the officers approached, the report states, both discharged their duty firearms; a bullet from one of the officers struck and injured the suspect.
Investigators determined the suspect was treated in hospital for a gunshot wound to his upper right arm, and that a bullet fragment recovered from his wound came from the officer’s pistol.
The IIO also said no weapon was found in the BMW.
In its findings, the IIO concluded that the officers’ actions did not amount to criminal conduct and that the case would not be referred to the BC Prosecution Service for charges.
While the IIO cleared the officers of criminal wrongdoing, it said its report identified multiple errors during the incident.
Those errors included disregarding an order to stop trying to apprehend the driver, approaching the vehicle on foot despite the risk it could move, and failing to communicate with each other, the watchdog said.
The report further said one officer inappropriately used his pistol to try to break the window, which resulted in an accidental discharge and preceded the partner officer firing.
The decision means the matter will not proceed to criminal prosecution, even though the IIO’s report indicates shortcomings in how the officers carried out elements of the response.
← More stories