A suspect sustained serious injury during a domestic disturbance call last week and now B.C.’s civilian-led police watchdog is investigating.
According to a release from New Westminster police, officers were called to the 400 block of Garrett Street, just off Braid Street, at about 7 p.m. last Thursday following a report of a domestic disturbance at a home in the area.
When officers arrived, they found a man allegedly armed with a knife. The responding members deployed a conducted energy weapon, also known as a Taser, to apprehend the suspect and take him into custody, stated the release.
During this time, however, the suspect sustained serious injury, which police say was self-inflicted, and he had to be taken to hospital for treatment.
Less than 45 minutes after the initial call, New West officers contacted the Independent Investigations Office. Investigators from the civilian body were deployed to the scene at 7:43 p.m., added a release from the investigations office.
At this time, no further comments on the circumstances surrounding the incident will be issued from either the investigations office or the New Westminster police as investigators conduct their investigation, both releases stated.
New Westminster police’s major crime section is, however, conducting a concurrent investigation and has charged the suspect, 28-year-old New West resident Christopher Lindsey Gilkin, with one count of possession of a dangerous weapon and two counts of disobeying a court order. He remains in custody until his next court appearance on Aug. 18 (tomorrow).
As laid out in the Independent Investigations Office mandate, investigators will now speak with witnesses and gather evidence to determine whether or not officers committed an offence while responding to the domestic disturbance call at the residence on Garrett Street.
