Three RCMP officers face the possibility of charges in connection with the fatal shooting of an Indigenous man in Campbell River in 2021.
A bulletin issued by B.C.’s Independent Investigations Office said chief civilian director Ronald J. MacDonald has reviewed the evidence in the July 2021 death of 38-year-old Jared Lowndes, “and determined that reasonable grounds exist to believe that three officers may have committed offences in relation to various uses of force.”
The IIO, a civilian-oversight agency that investigates police-related cases resulting in serious injury or death, is preparing a report that’s expected to go to the B.C. Prosecution Service in the coming months. For the service to approve charges, it must be satisfied that there is a “substantial likelihood of conviction” and that prosecuting the case will be in the public interest.
Lowndes, a father of two, was shot about 9 a.m. July 8, 2021 after Campbell River RCMP tried to pull him over just before 5:30 a.m. for an outstanding warrant for breaching a conditional sentence order related to two firearms offences.
One was for possession of a restricted firearm with ammunition and one was for contravening a regulation regarding storage or transportation of a firearm.
Lowndes did not pull over and left the area, but his vehicle was spotted later in a Tim Hortons parking lot on the South Island Highway.
An officer boxed the vehicle in, which was followed by a confrontation between Lowndes and the officer, who had a police dog with him. During the confrontation, the dog was stabbed and killed, and Lowndes was shot.
He died at the scene.
The officer was treated for a knife wound.
A Campbell River memorial march was held in Lowndes’ memory this past July to mark a year since his death.
A statement put out at the march by the Pivot Legal Society, a legal-advocacy group, said: “We can no longer allow the killing of Indigenous, Black and other community members and claim it is authorized by public interest, public safety or the public purse.”
Lowndes’ mother, Laura Holland, has advocated for dogs not to be used for police work and for body cameras to be worn by police officers.
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, said he is “somewhat skeptical” that there will be charges in the case.
“I felt it was a qualified statement,” he said Friday. “They were quick to follow up by saying that, of course, ultimately it’s up to the courts.”
Phillip said he has been disappointed with the IIO in the past when it comes to holding police agencies accountable for their actions. “There’s been an inordinate number of Indigenous people that have been shot and killed by police agencies, not only here in British Columbia but right across the country.”
jbell@timescolonist.com
>>> To comment on this article, write a letter to the editor: letters@timescolonist.com
