An investigation by BC's police watchdog has cleared an RCMP officer after a suspected impaired driver ran from a traffic stop near Lytton and later drowned. The Independent Investigations Office says a Mountie made the stop on the evening of August 12th last year after pulling over a driver for speeding. The man was found dead in the Fraser River near Hope six days later. IIO spokesman Ron MacDonald says the investigation couldn't determine if it was unreasonable for the officer not to chase the man down an embankment. It's not clear when or how the man ended up in the river before drowning,

Burnaby RCMP are investigating a shooting at a shopping complex in Metro Vancouver that left one person dead and two in hospital. Police say they were called to the scene around 8:35 pm Thursday evening following reports of gunshots at Market Crossing. They say their initial investigation shows this shooting ``does not appear to be a random act.''Police say one man they found with gunshot wounds succumbed to his injuries despite all attempts to revive him.They say two other people were also shot and are recovering in hospital. No suspect information was released.The Burnaby Mounties are now wo

There has been a second case in BC of a person developing a rare blood clot after receiving the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says it involves a man in his 40's in the Fraser Health region. Dr. Henry says he is receiving treatment and is in stable condition. The case was reported a day after Henry announced that the province would use its remaining stock of the AstraZeneca vaccine for second doses. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry says no COVID-19 health restrictions will be lifted before the May long weekend even though the infection rate

Police is asking for public’s help to identify suspect after a hate incident at restaurant drive-thru on May 1st. The suspect was reportedly standing near a restaurant drive-thru window when he approached a family in a sports utility vehicle (SUV) and began yelling at them. When a bystander intervened to tell the suspect to leave, the suspect began hurling anti-Asian slurs at him.Investigators only learned of the incident two days later, after video began circulating on social media. As a result, police were unable to locate the man, identify him, and speak to him immediately.Richmond RCMP i

On behalf of their policing partners, Surrey RCMP is highlighting the multi-pronged, cooperative approach to gangs and organized crime with information on a significant on-going investigation.As part of an on-going multi-agency, drug investigation, a search warrant was executed at a commercial warehouse located in the 1900-block of McLean Avenue in Port Coquitlam, on April 19, 2021.Inside the warehouse, police located a large illicit drug-manufacturing site containing multiple pieces of laboratory and drug manufacturing equipment.Officers also located 37 kilograms of chemicals associated to th

The Transportation Safety Board says progress is being made by the marine, aviation and rail sectors to act on TSB recommendations issued following sinkings, crashes or other events that have caused death or injury. In its annual reassessment of responses to 62 ongoing safety recommendations, the board says 12 more have received a ``fully satisfactory'' rating, pushing the number of recommendations to receive the top rating to nearly 85 per cent. But the board says some key safety ratings have still seen minimal movement, including one it ranks as ``unsatisfactory'' related to a recommendatio

Homicide investigators say they have identified one of two victims found dead along a forest service road near Penticton, B.C. An update from the RCMP's Southeast District major crime unit says the second person has not yet been named but identification work continues. An autopsy on both victims is set for Friday. The bodies were found Monday along a road in the Naramata Creek area and police say although the killings appear targeted, the incident is believed to be isolated and the public is not at risk. A vehicle found near the bodies is part of the investigation and detectives are appealing

An expert on gangs says the very public nature of a recent series of shootings in Metro Vancouver may be attributed to COVID-19 restrictions, with rivals striking at the first chance they get.Martin Bouchard, a professor in Simon Fraser University's school of criminology, says the pandemic has changed people's routines and they aren't getting out of their homes often, which could play a role in the brazen nature of shootings.He says gang violence follows its own course regardless of what the initial motive was for the conflict.The comments come as police leaders meet today with Solicitor Gene

British Columbia will be holding its remaining stock of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to use as second doses for residents. Health Minister Adrian Dix and provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry say the change is due to the limited availability of the vaccine. The pair say in a joint statement all currently scheduled vaccination appointments through pharmacies will proceed, but no additional appointments will be booked. British Columbia reported 600 new cases of COVID-19 Wednesday and 5,887 active infections, for a total of 137,223 since the pandemic began. It also reported one n