'No credible evidence': IIO clears RCMP officers after man complains of dislocated shoulder

BC’s police watchdog says there is no “credible evidence” that a Kamloops RCMP officer dislocated a man’s shoulder during a 2023 arrest.

According to a news release issued Monday, the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) said that RCMP officers did not use unnecessary, excessive or unreasonable force while arresting a man following a report of public intoxication in February 2023.

On Feb, 17, 2023, the RCMP responded to a report of a man who was allegedly intoxicated and acting aggressively in a doctor’s office.

About a month after the arrest, the man notified the police he had suffered a dislocated shoulder which would require surgery.

“The AP’s arrest by the (subject officer) was captured on video by police dash camera systems,” the IIO’s report said.

“From the AP’s demeanor as recorded in the video, including physical movements and slurred speech, he appeared to be heavily intoxicated.”

Additionally, cell block video shows that AP reportedly continued to be physically resistant and was ultimately dragged to a cell to have his handcuffs removed.

When the IIO investigated the RCMP officers involved in the arrest, one recalled that despite concern that the man may have been injured in the struggle, he did not want an ambulance to be called.

When he was released the next day, he said he would seek out medical care, but the IIO report said he did not.

On Mar. 22, the affected person told police about his injury.

The matter was referred to the IIO about the incident and the investigator contacted local health authorities and it was discovered the man did not attend any medical facility and therefore no confirmation of his injury. The case was closed.

However, it was reopened in June 2023 after the person contacted the IIO again but by this time he had been to a doctor and so medical information was available.

The investigators asked the man how he managed living with a dislocated shoulder for about seven weeks, to which he responded that he had a “high pain threshold.”

“It will be seen from the timeline set out above that there is at least some doubt about the AP’s claim that the dislocation of his shoulder occurred during his arrest and detention in February 2023, with a realistic possibility that it may have actually occurred at some point closer to his attendance for treatment several weeks later,” the IIO said.

“If it did happen at the time of his arrest, there is no credible evidence that it was the result of any unjustifiable use of force by any of the involved officers.”

The IIO said there were no reasonable grounds to believe the officers committed an offence and the case was closed.