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B.C. Police Adjudicator Rules Sgt. Kirkwood’s Use of ARWEN in 2019 Death Was Misconduct

The ruling found the officer’s actions reckless and unnecessary, marking a key development in the first public hearing under the B.C. Police Act into a person’s death.

Lisa Rauch died after she was shot in the back of the head with plastic bullets on Christmas Day 2019. A ruling from the Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner now says the officer who shot her abused his authority in doing so
Former B.C. Attorney General Wally Oppal answers questions from reporters during a scrum after the announcement that Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Farnworth and the provincial government is going ahead with the transition to a municipal police force for the City of Surrey during a press conference in the press theatre at legislature in Victoria, B.C., on Wednesday, July 19, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
Lisa Rauch suffered fatal injuries after being shot with a plastic bullet on Christmas Day, 2019.

Overview

  • Retired judge Wally Oppal determined Sgt. Ron Kirkwood acted recklessly and without justification in firing ARWEN rounds that struck Lisa Rauch in the head, leading to her death in 2019.
  • The adjudicator ruled the officer’s decision was objectively unreasonable, citing poor visibility and the absence of an active threat from Rauch at the time of the shooting.
  • While Kirkwood was found guilty of misconduct, he was cleared of neglect of duty for failing to document the incident, as his actions aligned with Victoria Police policies in place at the time.
  • The case represents the first public hearing under the B.C. Police Act into a death, following earlier investigations by the IIO and VicPD that found no misconduct.
  • Rauch’s family continues to advocate for systemic change, with a coroner’s inquest expected to further examine the circumstances of her death and potential reforms.