The BC Prosecution Service has announced that no charges will be approved against a North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP officer who shot a man driving a stolen skid-steer.
The non-fatal shooting occurred in 2023, when police received a call that a man was driving the skid-steer erratically on Somenos Road in Duncan.
Officers attended the scene and attempted to stop the driver, but there were collisions between the loader and police vehicles.
Witnesses reported at the time that police chased the skid-steer down several residential streets, including Glacier Street, Hawkes Boulevard and Evans Park.
During the chase, police reported that one officer discharged their weapon striking the driver, who was later identified as then-31-year-old Davin Cochrane of Ladysmith.
Paramedics attended the scene and Cochrane was transported to hospital with serious injuries, but he lived.
The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) launched an investigation into the matter, as the organization does anytime a suspect is injured or killed during a police incident.
The IIO investigation determined in May 2025 that there were reasonable grounds to believe the officer may have committed offences when they shot Cochrane.
Now, just one year later, the BC Prosecution Service has announced they will not be going forward with approving charges.
“There is no substantial likelihood of conviction for any criminal offence in relation to the incident,” wrote the BC Prosecution Service in a media release.
“As a result, no charges have been approved.”
According to reports following the initial incident, Cochrane had hit his head in a vehicular collision earlier the day he was shot, which left him confused.
He was reportedly shot twice in the head, and had to have a large chunk of his brain removed as a result.
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