BC's police watchdog has cleared Vancouver officers involve in a fatal shooting in the city's Downtown Eastside earlier this year. A report from the Independent Investigations Office says the officers' use of force in the January 5th shooting was, quote, ``justified, necessary and proportionate'' because ``they had no choice.'' It says the officers feared the man, who was not named by the oversight agency, would either stab them or bystanders with a sword he was carrying. The watchdog's report says the officers were not carrying a stun gun and fired a total of five shots from their firearms f

Vancouver Police released video today showing a violent and unprovoked attack on a homeless man, and ask anyone who can identify the suspect to call police. "We’d like everyone to take a good look at these images," says Sergeant Steve Addison, VPD. "We’re confident someone knows these people and can help us solve this crime."The bystander video was taken around 1 a.m. on July 26, on Hamilton Street in Yaletown. It shows a man in his 20s arguing for several minutes with a group of people, who he appears to know. When a homeless man walked by the group, the suspect swatted him in the head, c

The wildfire situation is continually evolving, and the information below is current as of 7 p.m. (Pacific time) on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021.Fires:Wildfires currently burning in B.C.: 249Since April 1, 2021:1,551 wildfires861,283 hectares of area burnedActive fires by fire centre:Cariboo: 26Coastal: 18Kamloops: 86Northwest: 5Prince George: 52Southeast: 62Resources:Firefighters and other personnel currently fighting the fires: 3,374Out-of-province firefighters: 464Helicopters and planes supporting ground crews: 161Evacuations:Evacuation orders: 48 (-6)Evacuation alerts: 96 (-15)Properties:Number

Emergency Management BC says about 3,700 properties are on evacuation order, down from nearly 8,200 a week ago.A news release says nearly 11,300 properties are on evacuation alert — which means people must be ready to leave on short notice — also down from more than 23,000 last week.The Regional District of Central Okanagan says the evacuation order for more than 1,300 properties and alert for about 850 of them remains unchanged as the White Rock Lake Creek wildfire continues to burn.The White Rock Lake Creek wildfire is still classified as out-of-control and is estimated to be 810 square

B.C. is reporting 641 new cases of COVID-19, including one epi-linked case, for a total of 161,271 cases in the province.There are currently 5,357 active cases of COVID-19 in the province, and 153,967 people who tested positive have recovered. Of the active cases, 138 individuals are currently in hospital and 78 are in intensive care. The remaining people are recovering at home in self-isolation. In the past 24 hours, no new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 1,801.There have been no new health-care facility outbreaks. The outbreak at KinVillage West Court (Fraser Health) has b

Vancouver Police arrested a 36-year-old man Monday after two apparently random assaults in Marpole. "VPD has been alarmed by the significant increase in seemingly-unprovoked assaults throughout the city in recent weeks, and we’re pleased to have made an immediate arrest in this case," says Sergeant Steve Addison. "We’re continuing to investigate any possible connections to other unsolved crimes."The two victims, a 65-year-old man and a 37-year-old man, were allegedly assaulted near Ontario Street and South East Marine Drive around 3 p.m. Monday afternoon. Police believe the suspect approac

A new supportive housing building in Surrey is providing homes for people who are at-risk of or experiencing homelessness. The housing ministry says the Baird Blackstone Building has 61 permanent studio units, each with a private washroom and kitchenette. It says the housing complex is part of a commitment between the province and the City of Surrey to deliver 250 permanent homes in the community. Residents will start moving into the building on September 7th.

Victoria police say they've arrested a 42 year old man accused of beating a 72 year old woman on a downtown street. Police say the attack happened Friday after the woman declined the man's repeated requests to give him money. They say the suspect pushed her to the ground and struck her several times before a bystander came to her aid. She was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while the man faces recommended charges of assault. Victoria police on Twitter: Patrol officers arrested a man on Friday after he attacked a 72-year-old woman in downtown #yyj. The victim was transpor

As of Wednesday, Aug. 25, 2021, masks must be worn in all indoor public spaces throughout B.C. to help slow the transmission of COVID-19 as B.C. prepares for the fall and respiratory illness season.A new order from the provincial health officer will require people 12 and older to wear masks in indoor public settings, regardless of vaccination status. These settings include:- malls, shopping centres, coffee shops and retail and grocery stores;- liquor and drug stores;- airports, city halls, libraries, community and recreation centres;- restaurants, pubs and bars (unless seated);- on public tran