The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of British Columbia has recommended charges against three RCMP officers in connection with the shooting death of Jared Lowndes, a 38-year-old Indigenous man.
The incident occurred in a Tim Hortons parking lot in Campbell River on July 8th, 2021.
Lowndes had been evading police after a warrant was issued for his arrest on March 21st, 2021, for alleged breaches of a conditional sentence order related to firearms possession offenses dating back to April 2013.
On July 8th, 2021 at approximately 5:30 a.m., a Campbell River RCMP officer attempted to road check a parked vehicle—it was then determined to be Lowndes driving the vehicle.
The vehicle subsequently made contact with a police vehicle as it departed the scene.
Although the officer did not initiate a pursuit, they alerted other officers in the vicinity.
Police say, at around 9 a.m., they located the vehicle and stopped it in a Tim Hortons drive-thru in the 2000-block of the South Island Highway.
During the confrontation, a Campbell River RCMP officer boxed in the vehicle and used a police service dog to approach Lowndes.
According to a IIO report in 2021, an RCMP officer boxed the vehicle in before approaching the suspect with a police service dog.
A confrontation occurred, resulting in the K9 being stabbed by Lowndes and the suspect being shot by police.
Both the police service dog (PSD) and suspect were pronounced dead on scene. The police dog handler was also treated for a knife wound.
In a recent report, Chief civilian director Ronald J. MacDonald of the IIO stated that there are “reasonable grounds” for laying charges against the officers regarding their use of force.
The decision to proceed with charges now lies with the BC Prosecution Service, which will consider factors such as the likelihood of a successful conviction and whether pursuing prosecution is in the public interest.
In response to the police dog’s death, the RCMP detachment held a motorcade in honor of the animal, and they issued statements expressing their gratitude for the support received from the Campbell River community.
The IIO has noted that it will not provide further statements on the case.
The decision regarding charges now rests with the BC Prosecution Service, which will assess the matter’s public interest and the likelihood of a conviction before making a determination.
