Investigators with B.C.'s newly formed Independent Investigations Office have been called to Prince George to investigate a fatal police shooting, just hours after the new civilian team began its first day of operations on Monday.
Police have yet to release many details of the shooting, but except to say one shot was fired on Monday night as part of an investigation that began Sunday morning into a serious crime in a rural area south of Prince George, and that no police officer was injured.
It wasn't until Tuesday morning that the newly formed Independent Investigations Office confirmed someone was killed.
Spokesman Owen Court said seven investigators were sent to Prince George late Monday night, just hours after the new civilian investigation team began its first day of operations in Vancouver.
"We deployed a team of seven officers to the file late last night. They arrived just after midnight. And what they will be doing right now is analyzing any available evidence and interviewing any of the available witness officers involved."
Court said he expects to release more details about the circumstances of the shooting on Tuesday morning.
B.C. 4th province to launch independent watchdog
The much-anticipated Independent Investigations Office (IIO) will be responsible for reviewing police incidents involving fatalities or serious injury. The office will oversee RCMP and municipal forces, as well as transit police forces.
The IIO will consist of roughly 36 investigators as well as dozens of support staff and legal counsel with an equal split between experienced civilian investigators and former police officers, none of whom have served in the past five years.
The civilian-led oversight agency was set up after complaints about police investigating themselves in cases of civilian deaths or injuries, including the shooting death of Ian Bush in 2005 and the 2007 stun gun death of Robert Dziekanksi.