An altercation with RCMP during an arrest in Dawson Creek, B.C., has left a man in critical condition.
In a Thursday media release, the BC RCMP said officers were called to reports of people with guns and bear spray near 8 Street and 104 Avenue around 8 a.m.
Officers arrested three people at the scene. One person fled on foot, and allegedly became “combative” outside a nearby convenience store while being arrested.
“Shortly after being taken into custody, the man went into medical distress and lost consciousness,” RCMP said.
Paramedics treated the man at the scene before taking him to hospital where he remains in critical condition.
RCMP said four officers also suffered injuries in the altercation, three of them requiring medical attention.
B.C.’s civilian police watchdog, the Independent Investigations Office, has been tasked with confirming details of the incident and whether any force that was used was necessary and proportionate.
The IIO is specifically looking to speak with two men who are believed to have witnessed “a struggle” between police and the man during the arrest.
One witness was wearing an orange shirt with reflective stripes and blue jeans, while the other was wearing dark clothing and seated in a wheelchair.
The RCMP North District is leading the investigation into the original weapons complaint.
Anyone who witnessed the incidents or has relevant video is asked to contact the IIO Witness Line at 1-855-446-8477 and the RCMP at 250-784-3700.
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