Ottawa, ON – The investigation of a police shooting in Smithers two years ago has been given a pass by the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP.

 

The CPC sent an independent observer to oversee the major crime unit investigating incident that saw an American man shot by RCMP in the Bulkley Valley in November, 2009. Cole Foos was shot four times by a police officer as the RCMP attempted to remove him from a truck reported stolen. The shooting took place when the vehicle in question accelerated as officers were trying to get Foos out of the vehicle.

 

The goal of the observer is to make sure the police assigned to investigate the shooting are impartial. The observer has concluded that there were no issues with the impartiality of the team and has closed the file.

 

Foos survived the shooting and pleaded guilty to possession of property obtained by crime. A judge found him not guilty of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle in November, 2010.

 

The CPC’s Independent Observer Program is aimed at enhancing public confidence in RCMP-led investigations into its own members with respect to the impartiality of the RCMP team conducting the investigation.