Three officers involved in a 2022 fatal crash in Abbotsford have been cleared of wrongdoing by the province’s police watchdog.
The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of B.C. issued a report on the matter on Thursday (Feb. 5), saying the actions of the officers were “reasonable and proportionate” for the circumstances.
The incident in question took place on Aug. 7, 2022. It began at about 3 p.m., when patrol officers spotted a stolen 1991 white Acura Integra being driven in the area of Livingstone Avenue and Maclure Road in Abbotsford.
Police said the officers lost sight of the car and made no further attempts to stop it at that time.
They again spotted the vehicle at 4:11 p.m. in a strip mall in the area of Hillcrest Avenue and Commercial Street. When officers tried to stop the car, the driver sped off.
Abbotsford Police said, based on information officers received that the vehicle had been involved in a recent violent crime in another community, a pursuit was authorized.
During the chase, the stolen vehicle lost control and crashed into a tree in the 31900 block of Maclure Road near Clearbrook Road.
The female passenger died at the scene, and the male driver was taken to hospital, where he later died of his injuries.
Two days later, RCMP confirmed in a press release that the stolen Acura was connected to a double homicide near Summerland. Two bodies had been found Aug. 6, 2022 inside a burned vehicle.
The IIO – which investigates police-involved incidents resulting in serious harm or death – announced in
April 2023 that it was recommending charges be considered against three officers involved in the pursuit.
But the IIO’s report on Thursday stated that “after further investigation, consultation and careful review of the evidence,” it was withdrawing the referral of the matter to Crown counsel.
The report says the evidence reviewed by the IIO included witness and police statements, CCTV video from businesses and homes, police radio transmissions and dash-cam footage from a witness.
The IIO document states that during the pursuit, officers conducted a PIT (precision immobilization technique) maneuver, which involves a patrol car striking the rear side of a suspect’s vehicle.
The maneuver was done when the Acura was driving east on Maclure Road approaching Clearbrook Road at a speed of 136 km/h, the report indicates.
“The Acura Integra ultimately collided with a tree and was torn in half,” the document states.
One of the officers interviewed told the IIO that had the PIT maneuver not been used, “we probably would have been faced with several civilian casualties, either serious grievous bodily injury or death.”
The IIO report states that the police pursuit covered approximately six kilometres through commercial and residential areas for a period of four minutes and nine seconds with top speeds of 138 km/h.
The IIO concluded that the officers’ actions were warranted.
“The officers believed that the individuals were involved were suspects in a double homicide, which is a very serious offence,” the report states.
“The officers drove at high speeds, but the video footage that captured their driving suggested they were driving in control. It was reasonable to believe that the Acura Integra was going to run a red light and that this would put many civilians who were waiting or travelling through the intersection at risk.”
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