Man shot during traffic stop in Saanich Friday night: police watchdog

A man was shot and seriously injured during an interaction with the Saanich Police on Patricia Bay Highway (Highway 17) Friday night, the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) says.

A man was shot and seriously injured during an interaction with the Saanich Police on Patricia Bay Highway (Highway 17) Friday night, the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) says.

At approximately 9 p.m., Saanich Police officers conducted a traffic stop with a driver in the 4100 block of the highway for an investigation into the breach of a conditional sentence order.

During the traffic stop, the driver was shot. He was taken to the hospital, underwent surgery and is currently in stable condition in the ICU, according to the IIO.

The IIO, the province’s civilian-led police oversight agency, is now investigating the incident “to confirm the details of what occurred during the traffic stop and to determine what role, if any, police actions or inactions played in the man’s injuries,” they write in a release.

The highway was closed in both directions between McKenzie Avenue and Quadra Street until around 6 a.m. Saturday morning.

At 10 p.m. Friday, the Saanich Police Department released a statement notifying the public that the highway was closed.

One hour later, they wrote that one person was in custody after a police-involved incident and that there was no longer any danger to the public.