IIO clears Prince George RCMP officers in 2025 arrest that left man seriously injured

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The encounter escalated in a parking lot where the man ran up an exterior staircase before eventually sitting at the bottom of the stairs. When officers attempted to take him into custody, a struggle ensued. Additional officers arrived to help and investigators found the man actively resisted arrest, including biting one officer’s gloved hand. Civilian witnesses reported the man was yelling incoherently and refusing to allow officers to place him in handcuffs.

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Body-worn camera footage reviewed by investigators captured the struggle and the man’s resistance. A fourth officer arrived to assist and, during the effort to restrain him, one officer deployed a Conducted Energy Weapon, commonly known as a Taser, at least four times. The report notes officers did not use punches, kicks or other force options during the arrest. Eventually, the man was handcuffed and placed in a police vehicle.

Officers transported the man to the Prince George RCMP detachment, where concerns about a possible mental health crisis or drug-induced psychosis prompted a call to BC Emergency Health Services. Paramedics later sedated the man and transported him to hospital.

Hospital records showed the man was suffering from delirium and a suspected relapse of schizophrenia. He was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a condition involving severe muscle breakdown that can release toxins into the bloodstream. The condition caused kidney failure and required dialysis treatment. Medical records indicated the rhabdomyolysis likely had multiple contributing causes in the context of the suspected schizophrenia relapse. A critical care physician told investigators that while Taser use can cause rhabdomyolysis, he could not determine whether it was responsible in this specific case.

When interviewed weeks later, the man told investigators he had been released from a correctional facility on the day of the incident and had been experiencing psychosis. He said he had no memory of the interaction with police and only recalled waking up in hospital.

In her analysis, Jessica Berglund found officers were acting lawfully when they intervened because the man’s behaviour was alarming members of the public and escalating. She concluded it was reasonable for officers to use force to arrest and handcuff him and that deploying the Conducted Energy Weapon was proportionate given his continued resistance despite the efforts of multiple officers.

The report also noted video evidence from both body-worn cameras and detention cells showed officers acted in a measured manner and took appropriate steps to obtain medical care for the man once he was in custody.

As a result, the IIO closed the file without recommending charges against any of the officers involved.