B.C. police watchdog clears West Kelowna officer in October portable toilet shooting

An officer shot a suspect who was hiding in a portable toilet in West Kelowna, and B.C.’s independent watchdog said the officer didn’t commit any offence. The Independent Investigations Office looked into the police involved shooting that happened in the 900-block of Skyline Road on October 18, 2023, according to a press release from the IIO. The incident began when police received calls about a firearm in the 700-block of Harvey Avenue, Olalla Road, and Skyline Road around 12:10 p.m. Officers responded and eventually located the suspect in a portable toilet in West Kelowna. READ MORE: Why we really need you to sign up to our newsletter https://infotel.ca/opinion/jonesie/jonesie-how-canadian-news-became-victims-in-its-own-story/it105120 The Southeast District Emergency Response Team and a negotiator were called to the scene where they attempted to communicate with the suspect. Police report the man did not comply with officers’ directions and an officer shot him. The man in the portable toilet suffered a “gunshot-related injury” and was taken to hospital for treatment. The Interim Chief Civilian Director at the IIO reviewed the evidence, including video, forensics, witness statements, and police reports. They determined, “there are no reasonable grounds to believe any officer may have committed an offence.” READ MORE: RCMP shot a suspect in West Kelowna who tried to hide in a portable toilet https://infotel.ca/newsitem/rcmp-shot-a-suspect-in-west-kelowna-who-tried-to-hide-in-a-portable-toilet/it101152 There is an ongoing court process related to the incident so IIO cannot release any more details. The IIO investigation has concluded and it is preparing a public report which will be released after the court proceedings are finished.  The IIO is an independent civilian oversight agency that investigates incidents in B.C. when an officer is involved in a situation where someone is seriously hurt or killed, whether or not there is any allegation of wrongdoing. To contact a reporter for this story, email Jesse Tomas mailto:jtomas@infonews.ca  or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .