RCMP officer faces possible charges after man shot in head in 2023

CBC News

· Posted: May 21, 2025 6:28 PM EDT | Last Updated: 9 hours ago

B.C.'s Independent Investigations Office (IIO) has concluded its study connected a shooting connected Vancouver Island 2 years agone and is asking the B.C. Prosecution Service to see charges against the constabulary serviceman involved.

It happened successful March 2023 and ended with 1 antheral successful infirmary with serious, life-threatening injuries, aft helium was changeable successful the head.

In a statement, the IIO says its chief civilian director, Jessica Berglund, has concluded one of the responding officers whitethorn person "committed an offence successful narration to the usage of a firearm" and has forwarded the study to the B.C. Prosecution Service to marque a last determination connected whether charges volition beryllium pursued.

The antheral who was changeable is besides suing 2 of the officers, alleging they utilized excessive unit erstwhile helium was successful the midst of a "medical crisis."

Incident sparked by skid steer pursuit successful Duncan

The IIO says the incidental started the evening of March 28, 2023, erstwhile members of the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP detachment responded to a study of a antheral operating a skid-steer loader successful a residential country of Duncan.

They recovered him successful Evans Park, wherever the shooting took place.

In his lawsuit, 32-year-old Davin Cochrane says helium was driving the skid-steer loader done Duncan when constabulary began pursuing him.

The pursuit ended successful Evans Park, wherever Cochrane says an RCMP serviceman changeable him aggregate times successful the caput and body, according to a announcement of civilian assertion helium filed successful the B.C. Supreme Court.

Cochrane's suit alleges the as-yet unidentified serviceman who changeable him was intoxicated astatine the clip of the incident, lacked due use-of-force training and had a past of problematic firearm use. It besides claims a 2nd supervisory serviceman who responded to the incident, who besides hasn't been identified, knew oregon should person known that his workfellow was intoxicated and that their "ability to behave professionally was impaired."

The suit claims negligence by the officers caused oregon contributed to the shooting, saying they confronted Cochrane successful a mode that made him fearfulness for his life, failed to de-escalate the situation, and did not usage different less-lethal means oregon pass Cochrane earlier shooting astatine him.

"The usage of excessive unit by [officers] was unlawful artillery arising from gross negligence, oregon malicious and/or willful misconduct," the assertion reads.

None of the allegations person been tested successful court, and neither of the officers has filed a effect to the lawsuit. 

Lawsuit pending

Cochrane, a begetter of 4 who says helium had turned his beingness astir aft a conflict with substance usage and a agelong transgression record, claims helium had been successful a car mishap earlier that day, and the constabulary could spot helium was visibly "bandaged up."

Cochrane was hospitalized successful captious information and says helium sustained psychological, encephalon and carnal injuries, and has a imperishable cognitive disablement arsenic a effect of the incident. His lawsuit also says helium has been incapable to enactment oregon attraction for himself independently since then.

"The plaintiff's injuries person caused him pain, suffering and nonaccomplishment of enjoyment of life," the assertion reads.

B.C.'s minister of nationalist safety and solicitor wide and the lawyer wide of Canada are besides named arsenic defendants successful the suit, which claims the RCMP, contracted by the state to constabulary definite communities, were not decently trained and that the 2 governments are besides liable for the alleged wrongdoing.

They filed a associated effect successful May 2024, successful which they deny Cochrane's claims and say he failed to obey constabulary instructions, resisted arrest and obstructed RCMP officers during the incident.

"The apprehension of the plaintiff arsenic good arsenic the means utilized were reasonable, lawful and executed successful bully faith," the effect reads.

The greeting of the incident, Cochrane claims helium was successful a superior car mishap that sent his caput into the model of a conveyance and caused him to necessitate hospitalization and genu surgery. 

He was described as "mumbling" by aesculapian staff, and near the infirmary "against aesculapian advice" aboriginal that day earlier helium could acquisition surgery, according to his claim.

Mounties said they tried to get him to stop, but that the loader and constabulary vehicles collided.

Video circulated connected societal media shows a antheral driving a skid-steer erratically arsenic constabulary vehicles weave astir him, seemingly trying to incorporate him, or, successful immoderate instances, ram him.

Cochrane's suit claims helium operated the skid-steer astatine a precise debased speed, nether 12 kilometres per hour, avoided each pedestrians and non-RCMP vehicles, and drove "in a mode which indicated helium did not mean to origin harm to persons and/or property."

His suit says that astatine the clip of the shooting, helium "posed nary imminent oregon imaginable hazard of decease oregon grievous bodily harm to immoderate different person."

Cochrane's assertion says helium is seeking compensation for symptom and suffering, aesculapian costs and existent and aboriginal nonaccomplishment of earnings, arsenic good arsenic punitive damages from the defendants.