THE Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner announced on Thursday that it has ordered an investigation into the conduct of police officer(s) involved in an incident which occurred during an anti-pipeline demonstration outside the Opus Hotel in Vancouver on May 22.
The incident was recorded on video and reported in the media. According to the video, during the protest a woman approaches a male standing next to a uniformed Vancouver police officer. The woman in the video steps forward and appears to make contact with one of the men, the woman is pushed back and falls to the ground.
Section 93 of the Police Act provides an authority for the Police Complaint Commissioner to order an investigation into the conduct of a police officer if the officer’s conduct would, if substantiated, constitute misconduct. The investigation will include any other potential misconduct, or attempted misconduct, as defined in section 77 of the Police Act that may have occurred in relation to this incident.
As the video was posted on social media and reported in the news, the Police Complaint Commissioner has determined that it is in the public interest, pursuant to section 95 of the Police Act, to disclose that an investigation has been ordered into this incident.