WARNING: This article contains video that may be disturbing to some viewers
UPDATE (Friday, 12 p.m.):
An update has been provided by RCMP following a police involved shooting in Duncan Friday morning.
A video surfaced on social media this morning showing a man being shot by a police officer outside the Duncan/North Cowichan RCMP after a police cruiser was rammed by the suspect vehicle.
An RCMP officer and a male suspect were injured during the incident.
According to reports, at approximately 6:30 a.m., a North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP officer was conducting a vehicle check in the police parking lot when the male suspect drove into the employee lot and struck the police vehicle sending it over an embankment and injuring the officer.
A second officer nearby discharged his firearm at the vehicle, striking the driver.
In the video obtained by Victoria Buzz, a man is seen standing near a black SUV crushed against an RCMP vehicle that has been pushed over an embankment—when an officer approaches the SUV, the man takes steps away from the police vehicle before the officer discharges his firearm, shooting the suspect.
The suspect is then seen falling to the ground before the video ends.
Both the RCMP officer and suspect were transported to the hospital with injuries believed to be non-life threatening.
“This is a very disturbing incident for our members and employees,” said Inspector Chris Bear, Officer in Charge of the North Cowichan / Duncan RCMP.
“Additional supports and resources have been brought in to our detachment and core policing operations for the community will not be impacted. We are unsure what the man’s intentions were at this time, but the investigation will look to determine that.”
The North Cowichan/Duncan General Investigation Section has taken over the assault investigation, and the detachment has closed its walk-in front counter service to accommodate the investigation. However, all other police services continue to be provided.
The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) confirmed they’re investigating the incident.
Anyone with relevant information about this incident are asked to contact the IIO witness line toll free at 1-855-446-8477.
— original:
A video has surfaced on social media showing a man being shot by a police officer outside the Duncan/North Cowichan RCMP detachment Friday morning.
On the morning of May 12th, a man was shot by police officers as seen on a video obtained by Victoria Buzz.
The shooting occurred in the parking lot of the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP station parking lot where the suspect drove a black SUV head-on into a police cruiser causing it to be pushed over an embankment.
When the driver exited their vehicle, they can be seen reaching into the backseat of the SUV when police officers confronted him and immediately opened fire.
https://twitter.com/victoriabuzzes/status/1657075887546970112?s=20
Victoria Buzz have reached out to North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP for information regarding what occurred, but at the time of this publication have not received a response.
The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO), a police watchdog organization, has launched an investigation into the incident.
As the IIO investigate the scene of the shooting, some road closures are in place in Duncan. Canada Avenue between the Trans-Canada Highway and Beverly Street has been closed traffic indefinitely.
🚨 May 12 7:45am 🚧CANADA AVE CLOSED 🚨 between the Trans Canada Highway and Beverley due to a police incident. Please avoid the area and take an alternate route. pic.twitter.com/Bok1RVPzfX
— North Cowichan (@NorthCowichan) May 12, 2023
More to come.
