Man left with life threatening injuries after Sunday morning police stop in the North Peace

An incident Sunday morning in Fort St. John is being investigated by Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) after an officer discharged their firearm and left one man with life threatening injuries during a traffic stop.

The tense situation unfolded around 3:15 a.m. when local RCMP pulled over a black Ford near 86 Street and 97 Avenue, across from North Peace Senior Secondary.

Local RCMP said one of the people in the vehicle was believed to have outstanding warrants, claiming the situation escalated quickly after an individual reportedly got out of the vehicle with something they viewed as a weapon.

An officer of the law discharged their firearm during the following interaction, resulting in the suspect being taken to hospital with serious, life-threatening injuries, while RCMP say none of the officers involved were hurt.

The area was taped off during the early morning hours while police were working on the scene and collecting evidence. Now that the IIO has taken over the investigation into police actions, RCMP say they won’t be releasing any further details.