The civilian police watchdog has been called in to investigate an incident where a man was injured when he rolled his car while attempting to avoid a police spike belt in the Comox Valley this week.
The Wednesday incident began when Comox Valley RCMP received a report about a stolen vehicle. An officer located it in a parking lot in the 700-block of Ryan Road and tried to block it with a marked police vehicle when it began to move away.
The driver reportedly made contact with the police vehicle before leaving the scene, and a police search that included an RCMP helicopter began.
The vehicle was located again in a residential area about a kilometre way and a second police vehicle — this one unmarked — was struck.
The vehicle was spotted again on Prestwick Place, prompting police to set up a spike belt. In an alleged attempt to get past police, the driver lost control and rolled the vehicle.
He was taken to hospital by B.C. Ambulance Service paramedics and determined to have non-life-threatening injuries.
Along with the probe by the Independent Investigations Office of B.C., Comox Valley RCMP are conducting their own investigation into the stolen-vehicle report and the actions of the driver.
The IIO is a civilian-oversight group that looks into incidents connected to police that result in death or serious harm.
