Officer in Gastown shooting may have committed offence: IIO

BritishColumbia'spolice watchdog says a MetroVancouverTransit Police officer involved in a shooting in Vancouver's Gastown neighbourhood in 2022 may have committed an offence and has asked prosecutors to consider charges.

The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) says there are "reasonable grounds" to believe the officer may have broken the law in relation to the use of a firearm.

The office says in a news releasethat on the night of Nov. 28, 2022, Transit Police andVancouver police officers responded to a report of a man with a weapon.

It says that during the confrontation at the intersection of West Cordova and Cambie streets, a transit officer fired their service pistol and wounded a man who was taken to hospital.

The IIOsays it has forwarded a report to theB.C. Prosecution Service for consideration of charges.

It says that for charges to be laid, prosecutors must believe there's a likelihood of conviction and that taking the officer to court is in the public interest.

Metro Vancouver Transit Police said in a statement to CBC News that it is aware of the IIO report, but declined to provide additional information because the file is currently under review by the B.C.Prosecution Service.

CBC News has also reached out to the Vancouver Police Departmentfor comment.