Death near Shawnigan Lake among 3 incidents under police watchdog investigation

The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) is investigating three separate incidents on Vancouver Island, including the death of a man near Shawnigan Lake.

The other two incidents include an arrest-related injury in Sooke, and an alleged injury that occurred while a woman was in police custody in Port Alberni.

The incidents were announced in a series of media releases released by the civilian oversight agency this week.

One of the cases involves the death of a man near Shawnigan Lake in February.

According to the IIO, the man was driving a grey Volvo near the intersection of Highway 1 and Frayne Road in Mill Bay at around 11:15 p.m. on February 21st when he was involved in a motor vehicle incident.

RCMP officers attended the scene and impounded the vehicle following an impaired driving investigation.

Two days later, on the afternoon of February 23rd, the man was found deceased inside a residence near the Malahat Highway. The IIO said the death is believed to have been the result of a self-inflicted injury.

The agency was notified by the man’s family in March and launched an investigation into the circumstances leading up to his death, including his interaction with police.

The IIO is asking anyone who witnessed the interaction between the man and police on February 21st to come forward.

In a second investigation, the IIO is examining an incident that occurred in Sooke on March 23rd.

According to the IIO, Sooke RCMP responded to a residence near Otter Point Park at approximately 6:30 p.m. after reportedly being asked by a property owner to remove a man from the residence.

The IIO said the man allegedly refused to leave, resulting in an interaction with police during which he reportedly sustained an injury.

He was subsequently arrested and taken to the police detachment.

The agency was notified three days later and opened an investigation. It is also seeking witnesses who may have information about the incident.

The third case involves an incident that allegedly occurred more than a year ago in Port Alberni.

The IIO said a woman was in custody at the Port Alberni RCMP detachment on May 24th, 2025, when an interaction occurred between her and police officers.

On May 6th, the woman contacted the IIO and reported that she had suffered injuries during the incident.

The agency subsequently opened an investigation to determine whether the reported injuries meet the threshold of serious harm and whether there is a connection to police actions or inaction.

The IIO is BC’s civilian police oversight agency and is mandated to investigate incidents involving police officers or detention guards that result in serious harm or death, regardless of whether there is an allegation of wrongdoing.

At the outset of every investigation, the IIO assesses whether there has been a death or serious harm and whether there is a connection to police action or inaction. If both conditions are met, investigators examine the available evidence to determine what occurred and whether there are reasonable grounds to believe an offence may have been committed.

Anyone with information related to the Shawnigan Lake or Sooke investigations are asked to contact the IIO’s witness line at 1-855-446-8477 or through the agency’s website.