VPD misconduct decision to be reviewed

The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) has ordered an independent review of a misconduct investigation involving a Vancouver Police officer.

The review is in relation to an incident on May 16, 2021, when VPD Cst. Lance Fraser was accused of forcefully taking Roshan Soroush-Nasab to the ground during a traffic stop. An official complaint was filed to the OPCC on May 21, 2021, alleging the officer abused their authority.

A senior VPD officer acting as the Discipline Authority reviewed the evidence, which included a video taken of the incident, and determined in January 2022 that no misconduct was committed by the officer.

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The VPD report states Fraser believed the motorbike Soroush-Nasab was riding had been stolen, citing “obvious and legitimate safety concerns for himself and the public” as justification for the use of force.

The officer used an “arm-bar/leg-sweep technique” to bring the man down during the arrest, which the VPD Discipline Authority review deemed was a “proportionate response” to the situation.

On Wednesday, the OPCC ordered a review by a retired judge into the findings of the discipline proceeding, saying there is “reasonable basis to believe that the findings by the discipline authority are incorrect.”

“The evidence reasonably supports a finding that the Member elevated his force response to this situation without sufficient grounds to do so and in a manner disproportionate to circumstances and behaviours the member was observing,” the OPCC report said.

Retired BC Provincial Court Judge Mark Takahashi has been appointed to review the decision.