Woman hospitalized while in Vernon cell not fault of police: B.C. police watchdog

VERNON – A police watchdog has concluded a woman who was rushed to hospital last week while in police custody in Vernon had caused her own injuries.

According to a media release from the Independent Investigations Office of B.C., the woman was arrested July 24 and held overnight in police custody prior to a court appearance.

The Independent Investigations Office said the woman's own actions while in custody were the cause for the medical emergency on July 25, and had it not been for the intervention of the guard and officers on duty her actions could have resulted in her death.

The woman reportedly spoke to police on the morning of July 25 while being held in a cell in preparation for court, but shortly afterwards was seen to be in medical distress. The woman was rushed to the hospital and received medical care. After a short stay, she was released without injury.

"Our investigation has determined that the female’s medical event did not arise from the actions of police," states the release.

The Independent Investigations Office is the independent civilian oversight agency of the police in B.C. investigating all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death, whether or not there is any allegation of wrongdoing.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Ben Bulmer or call (250) 309-5230 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom 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. 

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community? Create a free account to comment on stories, ask questions, and join meaningful discussions on our new site.

Leave a Reply

Ben Bulmer

After a decade of globetrotting, U.K. native Ben Bulmer ended up settling in Canada in 2009. Calling Vancouver home he headed back to school and studied journalism at Langara College. From there he headed to Ottawa before winding up in a small anglophone village in Quebec, where he worked for three years at a feisty English language newspaper. Ben is always on the hunt for a good story, an interesting tale and to dig up what really matters to the community.

More Articles