A man suffered a serious, but non-life threatening injury while RCMP took him into custody in Port Coquitlam last week.
The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) is now stepping in as he was cuffed under the BC Mental Health Act after allegedly resisting arrest.
Around 8:15 a.m. on April 6, Coquitlam RCMP were called to the 1900-block of Oxford Street where reports indicated a suspicious man was seen peering into vehicles and approaching people at a business nearby.
The IIO explains he eventually left after speaking with police.
"A short time later, police received information that the man was allegedly going to commit a crime and officers began searching for him," the police watchdog says in a news release.
The man was found by frontline officers walking into traffic on Lougheed Highway, forcing vehicles to slow down to avoid potential collisions.
In a separate statement, Mounties say the man allegedly resisted arrest multiple times, but was ultimately apprehended under the province's Mental Health Act.
It was determined he sustained a serious injury during arrest from an assessment in hospital.
The IIO is now investigating to see if police actions led to his injury, directly or indirectly.
Anyone with more information about this incident is encouraged to call the IIO's witness line toll-free at 1-855-446-8477 or visit its website.
