IIO finds Vancouver police officer’s truck-ramming decision questionable but not criminal

A Vancouver police officer made a “questionable” decision when using an SUV to ram a suspect’s pickup truck in October 2024, but the conduct was not criminal, the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. has concluded.

In a report issued Thursday, chief civilian director Jessica Berglund said the decision could represent a conduct or training concern. She did not recommend charges against the officer.

The incident began at about 10:15 p.m. on Oct. 8, 2024, when Vancouver Police Department officers found a Ford F-350 parked on a side street in circumstances they considered suspicious. A database query showed the truck had been reported stolen, and officers followed it after it left the area.

A supervising officer approved a “box and pin” manoeuvre, in which police vehicles surround a target vehicle and press against its front and rear while it is stationary or nearly stationary. Witness officers described the truck as travelling at normal speeds and not driving dangerously, although one said it drove through stop signs on a side street.

About 10 minutes later, the truck was reported travelling north on Renfrew Street before turning right onto Hastings Street near the PNE. The subject officer drove through the intersection after calling “takedown, takedown,” striking the truck’s right rear with the police SUV and causing it to spin 180 degrees. One wheel of the police vehicle was partially torn off. Four other police vehicles then blocked the truck’s path.

The driver continued revving the engine and tried to break free. Officers fired beanbag rounds and deployed a police service dog before arresting him. He was taken to hospital for injuries from dog bites and beanbag strikes; the injuries met the Police Act definition of serious harm.

Berglund found the force used during the arrest was reasonable and justified, saying the driver could have surrendered after the collision and the effort to contain the truck. But she said it was debatable whether the ramming complied with Vancouver Police policy, which permits ramming a suspect vehicle only in the most exigent circumstances.

The report says the officer made a split-second decision after seeing an opportunity while the truck was moving relatively slowly on Hastings Street. No one, including nearby civilians or the driver, was injured by the ramming itself. The officer did not provide an account to the IIO, and the report does not say whether the matter was referred to the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner.