Victoria/Abbotsford – The Police Complaint Commissioner has called a public hearing into the conduct of two Abbotsford police officers related to their use of force in a January 2024 incident that ended with serious injuries to an unhoused (homeless) Indigenous man.
On the evening of January 23rd, the man was walking with a shopping cart and carrying a large
stick in an area of Abbotsford close to shelters and outreach services. The police officers say
they stopped him for jaywalking and directed him to drop the stick. They also reported that the
man refused to drop the stick and heard him state the officers were going to kill him. The
incident escalated and one of the officers quickly deployed OC Spray to the man’s face, drew
his pistol on him, punched him multiple times in his face, and push-kicked him. According to
police, the man responded with a punch to an officer’s shoulder. After a foot pursuit, the man
stopped and police confronted him. They used substantial force to subdue and arrest him,
including punches, elbow and knee strikes to the head, face and elsewhere, and two contact
cycles of a Conducted Energy Weapon (Taser).
The Indigenous man suffered significant injury to his face and head, and was transported to the hospital. Some of the use of force was captured on CCTV footage. Criminal charges were filed by police against the man but were later stayed by the BC Prosecution Service.
