B.C. police watchdog called in after man injured during arrest by Port Alberni RCMP

SURREY — The Independent Investigations Office of BC says it has been called in to probe an arrest in Port Alberni that left a man with serious injuries last weekend.

The office says in a statement that Mounties were called on Dec. 20 to a home on Beaver Creek Road about a harassment complaint.

It says an officer was combing the neighbourhood and encountered a man and his dog, but they were not associated with the harassment call.

The statement says there was a “physical interaction” between the man, his dog and the officer before the man was arrested.

The Independent Investigations Office says the man said he was hurt and was taken to hospital for treatment of “a serious but not life-threatening injury.”

The office says it was told about the arrest a short time later and is seeking witnesses or video footage of the encounter as it investigates if an offence occurred.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 23, 2025.