Watchdog investigating after woman injured following night in jail

Photo: Contributed

B.C.’s police watchdog is investigating after a woman was taken to hospital with an injury after being held overnight in Kamloops RCMP cells.

In a statement, the Independent Investigations Office said Kamloops RCMP responded to reports of a disturbance at a McGill Road residence at about 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4.

According to the IIO, officers located a woman nearby who had allegedly been involved in the disturbance, arrested her and detained her in the detachment cells.

“In the morning on Feb. 5, the woman complained of an injury. She was released and transported to a local hospital where it was determined that she had suffered a serious injury,” the IIO said in a statement.

The IIO said it has launched an investigation.

“Initial investigative steps will seek to confirm when the injury occurred and what role, if any, police may have played in that injury.”

The IIO is B.C.'s arm's-length police watchdog agency. Its investigators probe incidents in which people suffer death or serious injury following an interaction with B.C. police.

Anyone with relevant information or video footage from the incident is asked to contact IIO’s witness line at at 1-855-446-8477, or submit an online contact form.