The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) issued its public report related to a shooting in Tsay Keh Dene, finding no reasonable grounds of wrongdoing.
On April 9th, 2024, at 10:04 p.m., RCMP received a call that an Indigenous man had shot two family members on the traditional lands of Tsay Keh Dene.
Upon arrival, officers saw the man running between two homes with a rifle, where they found the two deceased persons from the home he left before the man barricaded himself in another.
According to the IIO, an officer attempted to de-escalate the situation, but was unable to do so, with a primary negotiator being assigned who spoke to the man, where he admitted to the shootings.
During the overnight standoff, the negotiator believed the man was contemplating harming himself, adding there was an intention of poisoning himself.
An Emergency Response Team arrived at around 5:30 a.m., where gas canisters were launched into the trailer, forcing the man out with his rifle before shots were fired.
The man received emergency first aid from officers and was taken to hospital with injuries.
The IIO said police made ongoing efforts to de-escalate the incident, but the threat posed to officers when the man emerged from the trailer was evident, and determined there were no reasonable grounds to believe an officer committed an offence.
The matter will not be referred to the BC Prosecution Service for consideration of charges.
More detailed information can be found in the full report here.
Something going on in the Nechako Valley area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing pgnews@vistaradio.ca.
