North Vancouver news: Man who peed on RCMP detachment injured, watchdog says

A police watchdog is asking witnesses to come forward after a man who allegedly peed on a B.C. RCMP detachment “sustained an injury” during his arrest.

The Independent Investigations Office said the incident happened Saturday night in North Vancouver, where RCMP officers were called to help discharge a man from Lions Gate Hospital.

“Shortly after, the man was reportedly observed urinating on the North Vancouver RCMP detachment building located across the street,” the IIO said in a news release.

“The man was arrested and taken back to the nearby hospital where he was found to have sustained an injury.”

The IIO is tasked with investigating any officer-involved incidents that result in death or serious harm, regardless of whether there is an allegation of wrongdoing against police.

The watchdog said it was notified of Saturday’s incident shortly after it happened and opened an investigation. One of the early investigative steps will be to determine whether the man’s injury meets the definition of serious harm used in B.C.’s Police Act.

Under the legislation, serious harm refers to injuries that “may result in death,” “may cause serious disfigurement,” or “may cause substantial loss or impairment of mobility of the body as a whole or of the function of any limb or organ.”

Investigators will also seek to determine whether the officer’s actions during the arrest were “necessary, reasonable, and proportionate in the circumstances,” the IIO said.

The watchdog asked anyone who might have witnessed the arrest, or has video of the encounter, to phone 1-855-446-8477 or reach out online.