Mounties in Surrey fired their weapons at a “distraught man” carrying an “edged weapon” in the city Wednesday night, according to statements from the provincial RCMP and the civilian watchdog that investigates officer-involved shootings. The incident occurred near 111A Avenue and Wallace Drive shortly after 8 p.m., B.C. RCMP said in their statement Thursday. Members of the RCMP Surrey Provincial Operations Support Unit were responding to a report that the man had left a home in the 14100 block of Melrose Drive with an edged weapon around 7:20 p.m., police said. Officers responded and conducted patrols in the area, eventually locating the man and engaging in an “interaction” that involved the use of a conducted energy weapon—better known as a Taser—and “shots being fired by police,” according to the RCMP. “The man was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries,” the RCMP statement reads. “No physical injuries were sustained by responding officers.” After the incident, Mounties notified the Independent Investigations Office of B.C., which looks into all cases involving police that result in death or serious harm to a member of the public, regardless of whether there is any allegation of wrongdoing on the part of police. In its statement about the matter, the IIO said the man had sustained “serious injuries,” and that it is investigating. If the man’s injuries meet the Police Act’s definition of “serious harm,” the investigation will proceed to determining whether police action or inaction contributed to the injuries. “If both conditions are met, the investigation will continue to examine all available evidence to determine what occurred,” the IIO said. “At the conclusion of the investigation, the chief civilian director will consider whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that an offence may have occurred.” Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information related to the investigation should call the IIO witness line at 855-446-8477 or use the contact form on the IIO website, the office said.
