The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. has found no wrongdoing on the part of RCMP Const. Shaelyn Yang after an altercation in which she shot a man and she was stabbed during a sheltering check in a Burnaby park in October.
The IIO, which investigates deaths or serious injuries involving police, said there was an altercation after Yang and a parks worker approached a tent. Yang shot the man and was stabbed. She was taken to hospital and died about 30 minutes later.
“The chief civilian director has reviewed the available evidence, including independent witness statements and video footage, and determined that there are no reasonable grounds to believe that any officer has committed an offence,” the IIO statement reads.
The matter will not be referred to the Crown for consideration of charges.
The IIO’s public report is not being release until court proceedings related to the incident have concluded.
Jongwon Ham, 37, who survived gunshot-related injuries, has been charged with first-degree murder.
Yang, 31, was part of a special Burnaby RCMP team that takes the lead on homelessness and mental health issues for the department. Yang had accompanied a parks worker to speak to a man sheltering in Broadview Park.
Her death sparked a massive outpouring of grief as thousands of first responders took part in the Nov. 2 procession. Police personnel from Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and Washington state, plus partners from the Canada Border Services Agency, the Canadian Armed Forces, B.C. Ambulance, B.C. Sheriffs and firefighters joined the processions that lined Metro Vancouver streets.
