Police use of force in 2025 West End parkade arrests was justified, B.C. watchdog finds
B.C.'s police oversight body reviewed a March 2025 incident at a Denman and Nelson Street parkade where officers rammed a fleeing vehicle and used a Taser. It found the force was justified and referred no charges.
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B.C.'s police oversight body has found that Vancouver police were justified in ramming a fleeing vehicle and using a Taser on its driver during a March 2025 arrest in the West End. The Independent Investigations Office released its finding on November 6, 2026.
The incident began on March 29, 2025, when a parking attendant called 911 to report a white Dodge Charger idling in the parkade at Denman and Nelson Streets for more than four hours. The car had five occupants wearing black clothes and black surgical masks. CTV News reported the IIO finding on November 7, 2026.
What happened at the parkade
When uniformed officers arrived at around 8:40 p.m., the Dodge drove off at speed with tyres squealing. As it reached the ramp exit, one plain-clothes officer rammed it with her police vehicle in an attempt to block it. The Dodge pushed past and sped east on Nelson Street, turned onto Bidwell Street, and then crashed on Pendrell Street, striking a civilian car and then a parked vehicle.
Officers pinned the Dodge against a wall. The driver, identified in the IIO report only as the Affected Person, was moving inside the car and not responding to commands. One officer deployed a Taser on the driver because the driver appeared to be reaching toward the centre console. Officers then pulled the driver from the car; during handcuffing, one officer kicked the driver in the back to get him face down. Police found two handguns and a jerry can of gasoline inside the Dodge.
The IIO report noted the vehicle's licence plate was registered to a Dodge Challenger, a different make of car.
What the IIO found
Chief Civilian Director Jessica Berglund released the report as IIO file 2025-084. She found the initial decision to investigate the suspicious vehicle was appropriate, the ram at the parkade exit was justified because the driver appeared likely to continue evading police on busy city streets, and the Taser deployment was not excessive given that the driver was moving erratically and not following commands after the crash.
The IIO's motor vehicle analysis found that the crash on Pendrell Street, not the police ram, caused the driver's serious head injuries. The driver had not been wearing a seat belt.
Berglund wrote: "The manner in which police acted in this case was reasonable in the circumstances." She found no reasonable grounds to believe any officer committed an offence and referred no charges to the BC Prosecution Service.
What residents can do
The IIO publishes its completed reports at iiobc.ca. The report number is 2025-084. Residents can read the full analysis of how the finding was reached, including the evidence reviewed and the legal standard applied.
Questions this story answers
What did the B.C. police watchdog find about the 2025 West End Vancouver police incident?
The Independent Investigations Office (IIO), B.C.'s independent police oversight body, found that officers acted within the law during arrests at a West End parkade on March 29, 2025. Chief Civilian Director Jessica Berglund released the finding on November 6, 2026, in IIO file 2025-084. She concluded there were no reasonable grounds to believe any officer committed an offence, and referred no charges to the BC Prosecution Service.
What happened at the Denman and Nelson Street parkade in March 2025?
On March 29, 2025, at 8:23 p.m., a parking attendant called police about a white Dodge Charger that had been idling in the parkade at Denman and Nelson Streets for more than four hours. The car had five occupants wearing black clothes and masks. When uniformed officers arrived, the Dodge drove away at speed. One plain-clothes officer rammed the vehicle as it tried to leave the parkade exit. The Dodge pushed past and sped east on Nelson Street, eventually crashing on Pendrell Street.
Was anyone injured in the incident?
The driver of the Dodge, identified only as the Affected Person in the IIO report, suffered serious head injuries. The IIO's motor vehicle incident report found that the crash into a parked car on Pendrell Street caused those injuries, not the police ram. The driver had not been wearing a seat belt. The collision between the Dodge and the police vehicle at the parkade exit caused only minor damage to both cars.
What force did Vancouver police use?
Officers used three types of force. One plain-clothes officer rammed the Dodge with her police vehicle as it attempted to leave the parkade exit. After the crash on Pendrell Street, one officer deployed a Taser on the driver because the driver was moving around inside the vehicle, not responding to commands, and appeared to be reaching toward the centre console. A second officer then kicked the driver in the back during handcuffing. The IIO found all three actions were justified.
What did police find inside the vehicle?
After the arrests, officers found two handguns and a jerry can of gasoline inside the white Dodge Charger. The IIO report noted the vehicle's licence plate was registered to a Dodge Challenger, a different car.
What is the IIO and what does it do?
The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. is the province's civilian oversight body for police. It reviews incidents where police use of force results in serious harm or death. When it finds no grounds to believe an officer committed an offence, as in this case, the matter is closed. When it does find grounds, it refers the matter to the BC Prosecution Service for consideration of charges. The IIO operates separately from the police force it is reviewing.
Were any officers named in the IIO report?
No officers were named publicly. The IIO report identified officers as WO1 through WO13, meaning Witness Officer. The IIO designated no officer as a subject officer, which is the designation used when an officer's conduct is under direct scrutiny. CTV News reported the finding on November 7, 2026, citing the report from Chief Civilian Director Jessica Berglund.
Where can residents read the full IIO report?
The IIO publishes its completed reports on its website at iiobc.ca. The report number is 2025-084. Residents can read the full analysis and findings there. The IIO releases reports on all reviewed incidents where it has completed its work, so residents can track how police oversight decisions are made in British Columbia.
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