No charges considered for Abbotsford officer in fatal arrest, IIO says

B.C.’s police watchdog says it does not believe an Abbotsford police officer committed an offence in a traffic-stop arrest that ended in a man’s death on Feb. 9, 2025.

The Independent Investigations Office said the incident began as a straightforward traffic stop after police followed a pickup truck they believed might have been stolen. The driver was arrested outside a fast-food restaurant in Mission.

Investigators heard from officers, bystanders and a passenger that the man exchanged profanities with police before a struggle began when he refused to lie on the ground. The report says a mobility issue may have contributed. Police used pepper spray, placed the man in a police vehicle and later took him to hospital after he stopped breathing. He subsequently died.

An autopsy attributed the death to acute drug intoxication, including methamphetamine, the stress of the struggle, heart disease and obesity. Chief Civilian Director Jessica Berglund said the officers acted largely on suspicion rather than firm evidence in stopping the truck, but concluded the force used was not unnecessary or excessive in the circumstances.