Watchdog called to Chilliwack after man shot by police

Assault suspect shot by police in Chilliwack A man is in serious condition after being shot by the RCMP during a confrontation in the Fraser Valley on Tuesday.

Chilliwack, B.C. — A man is in hospital with serious injuries after being shot by police during a confrontation in the Fraser Valley.

Witness James Smith told CTV News he heard the incident unfold while fishing near the Vedder River Campground in Chilliwack Tuesday morning, saying as many as 15 gunshots rang out after police arrived.

“Five cops pulled in. We heard one single shot and then a barrage of gunfire after that," Smith said. "Then we heard more sirens coming."

RCMP say the incident began after a complaint around 7 a.m. that a man had threatened and injured a woman.

Police say they were told the woman was able to escape the home where the incident happened and the man left the property, but that he continued to send what the RCMP called "concerning messages and threats."

Members of the Chilliwack RCMP went to the scene to track down the suspect, and a nearby school, Unsworth Elementary, initiated “hold-and-secure” protocols as they searched.

Mounties say an officer found a suspect sitting in a truck in a parking lot about an hour and a half after the initial call.

"The officer waited for back-up and at approximately 9 a.m. officers boxed in the man's vehicle and approached him," the RCMP said in a statement.

The Independent Investigations Office has been called in to determine whether police actions were appropriate.

IIO Chief Civilian Director Ron MacDonald said the watchdog is going to look at "all the circumstances" around the shooting.

“The information about whether or not (the suspect) had a weapon and if so, what it was, what his actions were, what police actions were in response and all those circumstances,” said MacDonald.

“We need to collect all the evidence before we can answer why police shot and whether those actions were justified."

MacDonald says it appears the suspect and woman he was accused of threatening lived in the house and the incident was domestic-related.