Investigation ordered into bank arrest of B.C. Indigenous man and granddaughter

VANCOUVER – A police investigation has been ordered into the arrest of an Indigenous man and his 12-year-old granddaughter at a Vancouver branch of the Bank of Montreal.

The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner says it has requested information from the Vancouver Police Department to determine if the actions of officers who made the arrests on Dec. 20 amount to misconduct.

The office says in a release that the investigation will also consider any policies, procedures or training from the department or the Vancouver Police Board that may be a factor in officers handcuffing the girl and her grandfather.

It says the investigation will be conducted by the Delta Police Department.

Deputy police complaint commissioner Andrea Spindler says it's important that a thorough and independent investigation be done.

She says the legal authority to detain, arrest and use restraining devices such as handcuffs will be among the issues considered in the investigation.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 14, 2020.