Media Releases

January 5, 2021

The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) will initiate a Police Act investigation into the fatal shooting in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver today by Vancouver Police officers. View Release (.pdf)

December 17, 2020

With the decision of the B.C. Prosecution Service declining criminal charges in the matter of the death of Mr. Myles Gray after the use of force by Vancouver Police Officers, the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) will now be proceeding with a disciplinary-conduct investigation into the actions of the officers. A mandatory external Police Act investigation was ordered in August 2015, but was suspended while the criminal investigation was underway. View Release (.pdf)

December 8, 2020

Criminal charges against two Vancouver Police officers have been approved by the B.C. Prosecution Service following a referral by the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC). After being made aware of a use of force incident involving Vancouver Police officers and a member of the public, Mr. Jamiel Moore-Williams, the OPCC determined that an investigation into the force used by police was required. The RCMP were appointed to conduct this investigation and carried out a criminal investigation into this matter. The RCMP completed their investigation but did not refer the matter to the B.C. Prosecution Service for consideration of criminal charges. On February 10, 2020, upon review of the RCMP investigation, the Police Complaint Commissioner considered that one or more officers may have committed criminal offences and referred the matter directly to the B.C. Prosecution Service under section 111 of the Police Act. Additionally, a disciplinary-conduct investigation under the Police Act will take place but is suspended pending the outcome of the criminal proceedings. In order to protect the integrity of those proceedings the OPCC will not provide further comment while they are underway. View Release (.pdf)

December 8, 2020

The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner’s (OPCC) 2019-2020 Annual Report was tabled in the Legislature of British Columbia today. The Report highlights the importance of independent oversight of investigations into police misconduct and the critical need for legislative reform to promote more accountable policing. View Release (.pdf)

June 30, 2020

As a result of a complaint filed from a member of the public, the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) has initiated an external investigation into allegations of misconduct related to the Delta Police Department’s handling of a case involving the spouse of the department’s Chief Constable. View Release (.pdf)

June 23, 2020

The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) has ordered a review of an Abbotsford Police Department decision regarding the misconduct of an officer accused of intimate partner violence. View Release (.pdf)

June 1, 2020

The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) has ordered a review into the findings of a discipline proceeding relating to an allegation of discreditable conduct against a Vancouver police officer. View Release (.pdf)

May 28, 2020

The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) has arranged a Review on the Record into the demotion of a Vancouver Police Department (VPD) Sergeant found to have been deceitful in an investigation into an alleged misconduct involving the off duty conduct of VPD members and a complainant who was a Crown Counsel with the BC Prosecution Service at the time. View Release (.pdf)

May 21, 2020

The continuation of a hearing into misconduct charges against Vancouver Police Department constables has been delayed due to health concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Public Hearing into the misconduct allegations facing Constables Eric Ludeman and Neil Logan began in early March and was set to conclude next week. The continuation of the hearing is contingent upon ensuring the necessary protocols are in place in accordance with guidelines set by the Office of the Provincial Health Officer and WorkSafe BC. The public will be advised of the rescheduled dates for the continuation of the hearing on the OPCC website. The hearing centres on misconduct allegations against Constables Ludeman and Logan, stemming from a complaint of excessive use of force and improper entry into a private residence. The complaint was investigated by the Victoria Police Department before being referred to a retired judge for review. The judge found that although the entry was unlawful, the officers had not committed misconduct. The Commissioner granted the complainant’s request for a Public Hearing into the allegations, noting that it was in the public’s interest to do so. View Release (.pdf)

May 14, 2020

The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) has arranged a Review on the Record into the Victoria Police Department’s (VicPD) decision to dismiss a constable for discreditable conduct. The Discipline Authority found that Constable Brad Meyer had breached the Police Act through discreditable conduct in an incident on February 13, 2019. Among other allegations, he was found to have created a traffic hazard by shoveling snow onto a roadway and behaving in a profane and threatening manner when confronted by RCMP officers responding to the scene. After interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence under the oversight of the OPCC, the VicPD issued its determination on March 18, 2020, bearing out the allegations of discreditable conduct against Constable Meyer and proposing he be dismissed. In his Notice of Review issued today, the Police Complaint Commissioner noted that Constable Meyer requested a review of the decision to dismiss him from the Victoria Police Department and that the sole issue to be determined is whether the penalty of dismissal was reasonable. The Honourable Carole Lazar, retired Provincial Court Judge, will preside as the adjudicator of the review on the record, which has yet to be scheduled. View Release (.pdf)