The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of B.C. has cleared a Victoria police officer of any wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of Rhett Mutch in November 2014.
On Saturday, Nov. 1, 2014 around 11 a.m., police responded to a 911 call from a woman reporting her 20-year-old son, Rhett Mutch, had broken into her house in the James Bay neighbourhood and theatened to harm himself with a knife. When officers attempted to take Mutch into custody, he ran towards officers armed with a knife.
One officer shot Mutch with a less lethal bean bag shotgun, which had no effect. Immediately after, an officer fired one shot from his pistol resulting in a fatal injury to the neck.
Officers attempted to cover the wound to stem the bleeding, conducted CPR and called for emergency medical services.
“There is no evidence to support that the involved officers had any malice against, or motivation to do harm do, the affected person or use any force against him other than what was reasonably necessary to take him into lawful custody,” said the IIO in a press release.
The IIO is responsible for conducting investigations into officer-related deaths to determine whether an officer has committed an offence.