IIO clears officers of wrongdoing in death of Saanich man who accidentally shot himself with crossbow

B.C.'s police watchdog has concluded there are no grounds to believe any officers committed an offence when a Saanich man died from a self-inflicted crossbow wound in his home in February.

Ronald J. MacDonald, chief civilian director of the Independent Investigations Office, reviewed statements from civilian and police witnesses, audio from 911 and police radio calls, video recorded by civilian witnesses and evidence from the scene in reaching his decision, which was posted online Thursday. 

According to MacDonald, officers from the Saanich Police Department were called to attend the man's residence "to keep the peace and stand by during the serving of an eviction notice." They arrived with the landlord around 5 p.m.

"Once served, (the affected person) went back into the residence and came out with what appeared to be an assault style rifle (later discovered to be an air gun)," MacDonald wrote.

One of the witness officers told MacDonald the man then said: "How about we trespass with this?"

The confrontation kicked off a lengthy standoff, which involved the man retreating into the home and periodically firing various weapons out of his window at police.

"The police car windows were broken and there were 30-40 pellet holes in each of the two police vehicles that were hit," MacDonald's decision reads.

The Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team was called in and attempted to negotiate with the man by providing him a phone, according to the decision. They also did a background check and discovered that police had previously seized weapons from the man on two occasions, but that he had had those weapons returned to him.

"(The affected person) had a series of previous encounters with police due to his mental health," MacDonald wrote.