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Vol. 61, Issue 65
Proudly serving Cranbrook and area since 1951
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IIO reports on Cranbrook RCMP shooting Independent investigator of police suggests officer may have committed an offence in an October 2012 shooting SALLY MACDONALD Townsman Staff
B.C.’s independent investigator of police is making a report to Crown counsel over an officer-involved shooting in Cranbrook on October 2, 2012.
“This occurs when the Chief Civilian Director considers that an officer may have committed an offence under any enactment (of the Police Act),” said a news release by the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) on
Wednesday, April 3. In a follow-up interview, Kellie Kilpatrick, the IIO’s executive director of public accountability, said the report by Chief Civilian Director Richard Rosenthal does not mean the RCMP officer will
be charged. “Essentially, the Chief Civilian Director reviews all of the investigative material and must consider if an officer MAY have committed an offence. In this case, he did form that belief that an offi-
cer MAY have committed an offence and thus the report to Crown [emphasis Kilpatrick’s own]. “Our threshold for referral to Crown is significantly lower than Crown’s threshold for charge approval,” said
Kilpatrick. The IIO is called to investigate any police-involved incident where a member of the public dies or is seriously harmed. This is only the second time since the IIO was formed last September that Rosenthal has forwarded a report to Crown counsel.
“Our threshold for referral to Crown is significantly lower than Crown’s threshold for charge approval.” Kellie Kilpatrick Independent Investigations Office
MIKE TURNER PHOTO
One person was killed in a motor vehicle accident about one kilometre north of Moyie on Wednesday, April 3. Early reports are that a 2003 Toyota Corolla was travelling south along Highway 3. RCMP said early investigation suggests the car crossed the centre line and collided with a semi travelling north. The occupant of the car died at the scene. Highway 3 was closed for at least three hours as of press time.
According to RCMP statements at the time, at around 8:30 p.m. on October 2, 2012, the 911 centre received a report of an alleged carjacking near Kitchener. A man stopped to pick up two hitchhikers, but his vehicle was stolen and he was ejected from the vehicle. The license plates and description of the stolen vehicle were relayed to Creston, Cranbrook, Kimberley and the Elk Valley. The IIO’s statement upon completing its review on Wednesday, April 3 said that at about 10 p.m., an on-duty RCMP officer responded to the carjacking complaint. Three kilometres south of Cranbrook, the officer saw the subject vehicle. The officer pursued the vehicle.
See IIO , Page 4