Police watchdog investigating an incident from May 2025 in Port Alberni

Independent Investigations Office of BC. (CityNews Image)

By Raynee Novak

Posted May 28, 2026 4:33 pm.

The Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO) has started investigating the circumstances around an injury that occurred in police cells in Port Alberni last May.

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A woman was in custody inside the Port Alberni RCMP detachment on May 24, 2025.

At some point while being held in cells, there was an interaction between the woman and RCMP officers.

The incident was reported to the IIO on May 6 by the woman, who was injured. RCMP had not made the IIO aware of the incident.

An IIO investigation considers two factors at the beginning of each report: if there has been an injury that meets the threshold of serious harm or a death, and if there is a connection between the harm and actions or inactions of police officers.

If both conditions are met, an investigation will examine all available evidence to determine what occurred.

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