B.C.’s police watchdog says it’s investigating an incident in Fort St. John after a man was seriously injured during a police interaction following a traffic stop early Sunday morning.

The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIO) says the incident happened around 3:15 a.m., when RCMP officers stopped a black Ford pickup truck near 86 Street and 97 Avenue.

There were two people inside the vehicle at the time.

During the interaction that followed, IIO says, a weapon was reportedly involved and an officer discharged their firearm, injuring a man who had been in the passenger seat.

He was taken to hospital with serious life-threatening injuries.

In a separate statement, RCMP said the vehicle had been stopped because one of the occupants was believed to have outstanding arrest warrants.

Police said a person exited the vehicle reportedly armed with a weapon and the ensuing interaction between the officer and the suspect resulted in the shot being fired. 

No officers were physically injured, according to the RCMP.

Police say they will not be releasing more information while the matter is under investigation.

The police watchdog says it was notified shortly after the incident and has begun gathering evidence.

The IIO is the independent civilian oversight agency that investigates all incidents involving police officers or detention guards in B.C. that result in serious harm or death.

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