The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner has officially declared its intention to initiate a public hearing regarding the death of a woman who was struck multiple times with “less lethal” ammunition by a VicPD officer in 2019.
The incident, which resulted in the death of 43-year-old Lisa Rauch, has raised concerns and prompted calls for transparency and accountability from family members.
On Christmas Day 2019, VicPD responded to a distress call from a housing facility where a woman, now known as Lisa Rauch, had barricaded herself inside a unit with a kitchen knife, allegedly threatening other occupants.
After evacuating the floor and attempting communication for approximately half an hour, officers observed smoke emanating from the unit. In response to this development, they were authorized to breach the door.
When officers with the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team (GVERT) gained access to the suite, the woman was shot in the head by an officer with ARWEN (Anti-Riot Weapon, ENfield) rounds and later died from her injuries.
According to an Independent Investigation Office (IIO) report released in 2020, police had difficulty seeing inside due to the thick smoke, which was captured on CCTV. Officers said they also issued multiple verbal commands to the woman, which they say were ignored
Firefighters entered the apartment behind police and sprayed water into the room in an attempt to put out the fire.
One of the officers testified that the apparent ineffectiveness of the water caused him to think an accelerant had been used, and he was worried that the woman in the apartment would pour accelerant on the breaching team.
“At some point, I picked up some movement straight ahead of us,” the officer told IIO investigators.
“I don’t know if the smoke cleared a little bit for a moment or if she actually moved but what I thought I was looking at was her standing on the other side of the couch in an open centre of the room.”
The officer says he called ‘contact’ to the breaching team, and Constable Ron Kirkwood fired three “less lethal” rounds from an ARWEN launcher, which hit Rauch in the head.
After being hit, she was found unresponsive and bleeding from the head. She was transported to the hospital in critical condition and tragically passed away four days later.
The autopsy report concluded that Rauch died from blunt force head injuries and revealed no evidence of smoke inhalation or thermal injuries.
The IIO, a Police Disciplinary Authority, and an independent adjudicator conducted separate investigations into this incident. All three investigations concluded that there was no evidence of misconduct on the part of the involved officers.
The catalyst for the announced public hearing came from the family of Rauch, who submitted a request on August 21st, 2023, expressing concerns about inconsistencies in the evidence and the information provided by police and the IIO.
They asserted that a public hearing would offer an opportunity to ask questions and seek answers that they believe have been elusive throughout the investigation process.
Furthermore, they argued that making this incident public is in the interest of ensuring transparency and accountability for police interactions with the public.
The decision to hold a public hearing was made by Clayton Pecknold, the Police Complaint Commissioner.
He emphasized the vulnerability of Rauch, who was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time of her death, as a key factor in his decision.
Pecknold asserted that the officers’ actions in this case must undergo public scrutiny. Additionally, he noted that Constable Ron Kirkwood did not provide evidence to the IIO regarding the decision-making process that led to the use of “less lethal” rounds.
Following the announcement of the public hearing, VicPD’s Chief Del Manak expressed respect for the right to hold a public hearing but also noted that the incident has already undergone three rounds of oversight.
He highlighted that, as a result of these investigations, VicPD has implemented recommended changes to note-taking policies and created clear guidance on reporting requirements in use of force incidents.
“At this point, my thoughts are with the family and the officers involved, who have all been subjected to a years-long process that has impacted their ability to move forward with their lives. We will continue to support the member who is the subject of this investigation, and our hearts are with the family who continue to re-live this event through these investigations almost four years later,” said Chief Del Manak.
