The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner has announced a public hearing will review Mr. Yao Wei Wu’s complaint against two Vancouver Police officers for an alleged assault when the two officers attended at his home, mistakenly, months ago. The BCCLA had filed a complaint in relation to the incident, and demanded a public hearing in response to a flawed investigation report by the Delta Police department.

On January 21, 2010, in response to a 911 call, two plain-clothes VPD officers mistakenly arrived at Mr. Wu’s residence instead of his neighbour’s. Mr. Wu refused to let the officers inside his residence. Mr. Wu claims that the officers hauled him out of his house and assaulted him, while the officers claim Mr. Wu assaulted them.

The BCCLA wrote to the OPCC asking for a public hearing after reviewing the Delta Police Department’s investigation report, where the BCCLA noted:

– Significant inconsistencies in the officers’ accounts;
– Inadequate justification for use of force;
– Hasty action that allowed little time for Mr. Wu and others to identify the officers’ error;
– The officers showed poor judgment in assessing their own authority and Mr. Wu’s behaviour; and,
– Rewriting of Canadian law whereby the public is forced to comply with unreasonable and illegal demands by a police officer, because noncompliance to any police direction justifies the use of force.

“The investigation report by Delta Police Department leaves many questions unanswered and raises new ones,” said David Eby, Executive Director of the BCCLA. “While the BCCLA has no faith in the complaints process as it is currently established, with police investigating themselves, a public hearing in front of a retired judge on this matter – even if based on a flawed investigation – will hopefully provide much needed answers and ensure the outcome complies with Canadian laws.”

Read the Delta Police Department investigation report here

MEDIA CONTACTS:
David Eby, Executive Director, 604-630-9752