This article contains information that may be upsetting to some readers.
The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of BC says no charges will be recommended against RCMP officers after a woman suffered a broken arm during a search in the Nanaimo holding cells.
The incident dates back to the evening of September 26th, when officers responded to a 911 call about a woman reportedly threatening self-harm. The caller said she was hitting her head against a window and had a knife.
Roughly five minutes into the call, the woman left the apartment without the knife. She later told the IIO she had been waiting outside for an ambulance when police arrived instead, “slammed” her to the concrete, dragged her by her legs and tossed her into a police vehicle—leaving her arm bloodied in the process.
However, security footage from the building showed her walking with officers without any visible injuries, and two civilian witnesses reported seeing no signs of harm.
According to the IIO, while being transported to the detachment, the woman was observed hitting her head on the partition in the police vehicle. Once inside the holding cells, surveillance footage shows her walking unassisted, though she becomes agitated during the search process.
An officer removed her handcuffs to complete the search, but she continued to resist. At one point, one officer held her right arm while another attempted to move her left arm behind her back. As they lifted her, a snapping sound was heard and her left arm went limp.
Paramedics were called, and the woman was transported to hospital where she was diagnosed with a broken humerus. No other injuries were found.
The IIO report states there was no evidence of excessive or unreasonable force.
“It is unfortunate that in the course of the woman’s struggles and the subject officers’ attempts to control her, recorded as noted above on video, her left arm was twisted in a manner that caused it to be injured,” the report reads.
“There is no evidence, though, that the injury was caused by any excessive or unreasonable force applied by any officer.”
As a result, no charges will be recommended against the officers involved.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm or suicide, help is available 24/7 by calling or texting 988.
