Man seriously injured after being shot by Saanich police: B.C.'s police watchdog

A man was taken to hospital with serious injuries after he was shot by Saanich police on Friday night, said B.C.'s Independent Investigations Office (IIO).

Around 9 p.m. on Friday, officers stopped a vehicle along Patricia Bay Highway as part of an investigation into the breach of a conditional sentence order, the IIO said in a news release Saturday.The IIO investigates police interactions in the province that lead to serious injury or death.

The driver was shot during that interaction with police, the IIO said, adding the man was taken to hospital where he underwent surgery.

The driver is currently in stable condition in the intensive care unit.

Traffic came to a standstill due to the incident, with police closing the highway inboth directions between McKenzie Avenue and Quadra Street until about 6 a.m. Saturday morning.

Drivers in the area during the incident were advised to seek shelter at the time until it was deemed safe for them to leave.

The area has since been re-opened to traffic.

Megan Rees, who was driving along the highway around 9 p.m. Friday night,says an armed officer approached her car and told her to vacate the area.

"I sort of (felt) like, 'Am I going to die?'" Rees said.

In a tweet Friday night, Saanich police said the driver of the vehicle was in custody.

The IIO saidit's looking to determine what role, if any, police actionor inaction played in the man's injuries. The police watchdog is asking anyone with information to contact the witness line.

There have been six police-involved shootings in B.C. so far this year, including one fatal shooting in Vancouver in February, according to the IIO website.