Following Wednesday’s announcement by B.C. Prosecution Service (BCPS) that it will not be approving criminal charges, the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) has announced it’s moving ahead with its own investigation into the conduct of the Vancouver police officers involved in the death of Myles Gray in 2015.
The Police Act investigation will pick up after it was suspended in 2015 when the criminal investigation began, according a news release issued Dec. 17.
Unlike criminal investigations, the OPCC has a “broader evidence gathering scope,” and officers have a duty to cooperate and provide statements. The agency acts independently of police and government agencies.
OPCC investigations into municipal police are mandatory when a death or serious harm is involved in an altercation.
“The investigation will assess all of the circumstances including but not limited to, any training, policy, or misconduct allegations,” according to the announcement.
Gray, a 33-year-old Sechelt resident, died in Burnaby on Aug. 13, 2015 after an altercation with several police officers following a call about a man spraying a woman with a garden hose.
An Independent Investigations Office probe that finished in January 2019 forwarded a report to Crown counsel that asked for consideration of charges of manslaughter, aggravated assault and assault causing bodily harm. On Dec. 16 the prosecution service announced it did not approve charges.
