IIO not recommending charges to RCMP in fatal Mill Bay shooting

IIO not recommending charges to RCMP in fatal Mill Bay shooting
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The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) has cleared two RCMP officers of any wrongdoings in a shooting incident that led to one man's death in Mill Bay two years ago.

The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) has cleared two RCMP officers of any wrongdoings in a shooting incident that led to one man’s death in Mill Bay two years ago.

Chris Bloomfield was shot and killed by police officers at his mobile home residence in Mill Bay on Nov. 10, 2018.

According to Shawnigan Lake RCMP, they were following up on an assault investigation and had entered the home with the intention of arresting Bloomfield in connection with the incident.

An IIO report, released on Friday, indicates that prior to RCMP attending the mobile home park, a woman had approached them and said that Bloomfield had assaulted her after drugging her with LSD.

Police responded to the Mill Bay location with paramedics waiting in the vicinity and having obtained a warrant, the report reads.

According to the IIO report, when officers moved inside, Bloomfield advanced while holding a knife, “acting in a manner that caused [police] to fear him.”

The report indicates officers used a taser on Bloomfield before six bullets were fired at close range.

Bloomfield was taken to hospital by the nearby paramedics where he was declared dead.

The IIO report determined that Bloomfield had been shot five times, with bullet entry wounds in his chest, abdomen and both arms. A toxicology report following Bloomfield’s death also showed that marijuana, codeine, cocaine, MDMA, ketamine and a hallucinogen were all in his system at the time of the incident.

Initially, the responding officers had declined to be interviewed by the IIO, but after several months, statements from the officers were forwarded by their lawyers and the investigations office was able to complete its report. The IIO notes that both statements were “generally consistent.”

“Accordingly, as the Chief Civilian Director of the IIO, I do not consider that there were reasonable grounds to believe that an officer may have committed an offence under any enactment and therefore the matter will not be referred to Crown counsel for consideration of charges.”

The Independent Investigations Office of BC emphasizes that the final decision is based on the evidence, which is only available from the subject officers as no other person witnessed the event.

 

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