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A B.C. watchdog has determined that a Vancouver police officer accidentally fired his gun during a November 2024 arrest, prompting a fellow officer to shoot and wound the suspect. The IIO found multiple errors but no criminality.
A gunshot that prompted a Vancouver police officer to open fire on a suspect during a November 2024 arrest came from a fellow officer's accidental discharge, a B.C. law enforcement watchdog has determined.
The mistake resulted in the suspect taking a bullet to his upper arm, one of multiple errors made by officers during the incident, according to a report released Friday by the Independent Investigations Office. The errors do not rise to the level of criminality, either in isolation or cumulatively, wrote Jessica Berglund, chief civilian director of the IIO. The incident unfolded while two plainclothes officers were responding to an early morning 911 call about a BMW allegedly stolen at knifepoint.
Accidental Discharge During Arrest
The police boxed the vehicle in at a residential intersection in East Vancouver around 4 a.m., then approached the BMW and ordered the driver to get out. One officer told the IIO he saw the suspect put the vehicle in reverse, leading him to try breaking the driver's-side window using the butt of his pistol. That resulted in a pop sound that he later realized was his gun firing by accident.
He immediately heard two more pop sounds, according to the report, and saw the suspect's behaviour had changed. The officer told the watchdog the driver unlocked the BMW's door then stepped outside screaming, Don't kill me! The second officer, who had been across the vehicle on the passenger side, said he fired twice into the BMW because he believed the gunshot had come from inside. Berglund found that to be a reasonable assumption.
She determined the officer's use of force was therefore justified to protect his colleague from the perceived threat of death or grievous bodily harm. The IIO report notes it was dark outside, with the arrest taking place around 4 a.m. No weapon was found in the vehicle. Police had previously characterized the suspect as armed and dangerous after spotting the BMW being driven at very high speeds in a dangerous manner.
Errors Identified In IIO Report
The other officer's attempt to break the glass using his gun was among the errors identified in the IIO report. Across policing generally, firearms are not normally intended to be used as impact tools because of the risks of accidental discharge and damage to the weapon, Berglund wrote. Having said this, any misuse of the pistol in this case does not meet the criminal test for careless use of a firearm.
The officers had also both been directed to stand down efforts to arrest the suspect, but failed to do so, according to the report. IIO investigators interviewed the suspect in hospital, and said he admitted to stealing the BMW. He told them when he was shot, he had only been struggling to put the vehicle in park. The report indicates the vehicle had a non-standard gear selection system with a push-button parking brake.
The IIO is an independent civilian oversight agency that investigates police incidents involving death or serious harm in British Columbia. Its mandate is to determine whether police actions were lawful and whether they may have committed an offence. In this case, the watchdog concluded that while officers made errors, their conduct did not cross the criminal threshold.
CTVToronto 
CTVNews:Gunshot that prompted Vancouver cop to shoot suspect was fellow officer’s ‘accidental discharge,’ watchdog findsThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Independent Investigations Office Accidental Discharge Police Watchdog Report B.C. Law Enforcement
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