Police watchdog investigating after man injured

A Sunday evening incident in Esquimalt has brought investigators from B.C.’s police watchdog agency to look into how Victoria police responded to a domestic disturbance in which a man suffered injuries

The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. is called in when police are involved in incidents that include deaths or serious harm and were notified by Victoria police according to their mandate, said IIO spokesman Aidan Buckley. The office conducts investigations to determine whether or not officers may have committed an offence by what they did or did not do.

According to the police notification, officers were called to the 900 block of Carleton Terrace in Esquimalt at 5:20 p.m.

Victoria police posted a reference on Twitter saying, “We attended for a domestic disturbance last night. There is no risk to the public. One male was injured and the IIO was notified.”

Several investigators were deployed Sunday night and are believed to still be on the case, Buckley said.

Victoria police spokesman Const. Matt Rutherford confirmed Monday that the call came in at 5:20 p.m., but he did not comment on how many officers responded , how long they were on the scene nor the condition of a man reported to have fallen from a fourth-floor apartment balcony during a domestic dispute.

“The initial focus of our investigation will be to see if there is a connection between the actions or inactions of the police and the injuries sustained,” Buckley said Monday. If it’s concluded there is no connection between the man’s injuries and action or inaction from police, the office releases its jurisdiction.

Should a connection be found, the investigation will continue, he said.

Ultimately, the chief civilian director of the office, Richard Rosenthal, will either exonerate the police and release a public report or the incident will be forwarded to Crown prosecutors to determine if an officer committed an offence.

The standard that has to be met for determination of an offence is much lower than what is required in police referrals to the Crown for criminal charges, Buckley said.

“Police referrals are on reasonable and probable grounds that an offence was committed.’ ” he said.

The Independent Investigations Office is part of the B.C. Ministry of Justice and is under the Rosenthal’s command.