No charges for officers involved in Shuswap shooting in 2015

SICAMOUS – No charges have been approved against Salmon Arm police officers involved in a non-fatal shooting in 2015.

In a news release today, May 16, the B.C. Prosecution Service says officers were responding to a complaint of an armed robbery at a gas station involving an adult man near Sicamous on July 3, 2015.

The suspect allegedly fled the scene in a vehicle. During the efforts to apprehend the suspect, two officers fired their guns in separate encounters with the suspect, the news release says.

During the second encounter, the suspect sustained serious gunshot injuries and was taken to hospital. He recovered.

The Independent Investigations Office, B.C.'s police watchdog, investigated the incident and the interim chief civilian director considered that the RCMP officers may have committed offences, and he submitted a report to Crown counsel for review.

The director didn't make a recommendation on whether charges should be approved. After review, the prosecution service determined that the standard for charges to be laid was not met in this incident, according to the news release.

A statement explaining the reasons for not approving the charges will be made public following the conclusion of the suspect's legal proceedings, whose charges are still before the court.

An officer was also injured in the altercation but no update was ever offered on the officer's injuries or current status. A spokesperson for Salmon Arm RCMP was unavailable for comment. 

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