‘Police decision-making’ prior to B.C. woman’s slaying needs independent review: advocates

Pamela Jarvis, 45, is seen in an undated image.

An antiviolence organization is asking one of B.C.’s police oversight agencies to review the circumstances that led up to a woman being killed in her home last week, in a case where her husband has been charged with murder.

Pamela Jarvis was found critically injured in her home in Merritt on Dec. 16 when police were called to respond to a “disturbance,” the RCMP said in a media release.

The mother of six died in hospital that day.

Her husband, Christopher Bernard Jarvis was charged with second-degree murder the next day.

Battered Women’s Support Services has written to the Independent Investigations Office of B.C., asking them to probe what local Mounties police did or did not do prior to the alleged murder—specifically, how an incident at the Jarvis home the week before her slaying was handled.

“This request relates to police actions and omissions following a reported intimate partner violence incident and raises concerns about whether RCMP conduct complied with applicable policies and whether those actions may have contributed to foreseeable risk resulting in a civilian death,” the letter reads.

“This request is not limited to the moment of death itself. Rather, it concerns police decision-making in the days preceding the death, including arrest, release, risk assessment, safety planning, and protective actions following a reported intimate partner violence incident.”

Pamela’s friend told CTV News police were called to the home on Dec. 10 after her husband “had broken down the doors in the house so badly that the frames actually came off their hinges.”

Officers reportedly took her husband into custody and returned him hours later, leading Pamela to fear for her life in the days before she was killed, according to her friend’s account. Pamela, the friend also said, was seeking legal advice about separating from her husband.

Merritt RCMP deferred a CTV News inquiry about the case to the Southeast District Major Crimes Unit, which is investigating the homicide.

The letter from Battered Women’s Support Services said an independent investigation into the police response should consider, among other things, how risk was assessed.

“This case involves multiple well-documented lethality indicators associated with intimate partner violence, including forced entry, escalation, explicit fear for life, and separation planning. These indicators are widely recognized in policing and victim services guidance as requiring heightened protective response,” the letter reads.

“Police play a critical role as risk mitigators when such indicators are present. Independent examination of whether that role was fulfilled in this case is essential to understanding what occurred and how future harm may be prevented.”

The Independent Investigations Office’s mandate is to probe incidents involving police officers that result in death or serious harm, whether or not there are allegations of wrongdoing.

The majority of cases investigated by the watchdog involve deaths or injuries in custody or during arrest. However, BWSS notes there is a recent precedent where the agency investigated a case where a woman who was allegedly killed by her ex-husband after police had been alerted to concerns for her safety.

The IIO’s report on that case will not be publicly released until the criminal proceedings have concluded.

CTV News has contacted the IIO for comment and this story will be updated when a response is received.