Latest news with #ARWEN
CBC
13-06-2025
- CBC
Victoria police officer to get 7-day suspension after death of woman
Victoria police Sgt. Ron Kirkwood will be suspended for seven days without pay for using an anti-riot weapon called an ARWEN to shoot plastic projectiles at Lisa Rauch. That decision came from retired judge Wally Oppal, who held a public hearing into the incident after it was ordered by the B.C. police complaint commissioner. Rauch, 43, died a few days after she was shot on Christmas Day 2019. It happened in a supportive housing complex in downtown Victoria, B.C., where Rauch had been visiting a friend. Rauch ended up in her friend's room, alone, in what witnesses described as a drug-induced psychosis. She had threatened those who entered with a knife, and had started a small fire. Police and firefighters breached the door of the room, and after water was sprayed at the fire, Kirkwood shot three rounds of the ARWEN into the smokey room — thinking he was aiming at her abdomen. Instead, he hit her in the head. Though previous investigations cleared Kirkwood of any wrongdoing, Oppal found he had committed abuse of authority by using unnecessary force, and acted recklessly. Still, he found it was an isolated incident for a police officer who is well-respected by his colleagues. Oppal called it "serious but not malicious, an error in judgment committed in the context of a dynamic and challenging call." The retired judge also pointed out that Kirkwood had shown remorse, and has been off work on medical leave, dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder. Inquiry finds Victoria police officer abused authority in fatal shooting 18 days ago Duration 1:57 A Victoria police officer has been found to have committed abuse of authority by using unnecessary force after fatally shooting a woman with plastic bullets on Christmas Day in 2019. The Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner concluded that the officer's actions were unjustified after the death of Lisa Rauch. Kathryn Marlow reports. Kirkwood also received support from supervisors and colleagues, including Victoria Police Department (VicPD) Chief Const. Del Manak who called him "a leader within VicPD [who's] had an exemplary track record and service record." Manak said he's confident Kirkwood will return to work and continue to lead and mentor younger officers. Kirkwood has received medals in the past, including for being on the scene of the Saanich bank shooting in 2022, where six of his colleagues were shot. Audrey Rauch, Lisa's mother, said she trusted Oppal's decision would serve as a deterrent, saying he had done an "admiral job" in the hearing. She said the five and half years it took to get to this stage were difficult, describing them as "a punishment for us as well as Kirkwood and his family." While she is disappointed Oppal's recommendations didn't include a police ban on ARWENs, she hopes the other recommendations bring change. 3 recommendations Oppal made three recommendations based on what he heard during the hearing: that Victoria police have their on-duty officers wear body cameras, that the police advocate to the province to create legislation surrounding notes taken and reports made by officers under investigation, and that they review how they communicate with both police and victims' families. Manak called the body-camera suggestion a "no brainer," saying he has tried to institute them in the past but couldn't get funding from Victoria and Esquimalt councils, which fund VicPD. He called it good timing that he is currently working on the budget for 2026, which will eventually be presented to councils. He said he and his leadership team would read Oppal's report and consider the other recommendations. The note-taking recommendation arises from the fact that Kirkwood took no notes following the incident, making it difficult to investigate — he was advised not to because he would be investigated by the Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia (IIOBC). Oppal said VicPD has since updated its policy so that notes are required, but in a way that still protects officers. He would like there to be a similar province-wide policy. When it comes to communication, Rauch's family reported several instances of being misinformed — or not informed at all — about what had happened and how seriously injured their daughter was. Kirkwood reported being informed of Rauch's death by text message. Oppal recommended Manak and the police board review how communication happened after Rauch's death and develop a policy leading to "reliable, timely, accurate, and sensitive communications" and support for the parties involved when civilians are seriously harmed by police and the IIOBC steps in.
Global News
12-06-2025
- Global News
B.C. officer should get 7-day suspension for woman's plastic bullet death, hearing finds
A Victoria police officer who fired the 'less lethal' round into a smoky apartment that struck and killed a woman six years ago should be suspended for seven days without pay, a discipline hearing has concluded. Retired judge Wally Oppal ruled in May that Sgt. Ron Kirkwood committed misconduct under the Police Act in the Christmas Day 2019 incident that left 43-year-old Lisa Rauch dead. Oppal concluded that Kirkwood was a good police officer who had made an error during a difficult call, resulting in 'catastrophic circumstances.' 2:08 Hearing into Victoria police officer's actions in 2019 death of Lisa Rauch Firing three projectiles from the ARWEN, a so-called 'less-lethal launcher,' into a room with obscured visibility was 'reckless and unnecessary,' Oppal found. Story continues below advertisement The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner (OPCC) ordered a public hearing into the death in 2023 on appeals from Rauch's family, who said they received inconsistent information from police and from the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) — B.C.'s civilian police watchdog. Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy An IIO investigation had cleared police of criminal wrongdoing in the incident. The OPCC-ordered hearing heard that Rauch had been visiting a friend in the building and that the two had consumed alcohol and crystal meth before a fire broke out. Victoria police were called to reports that she was barricaded inside a suite and had threatened someone with a knife. The hearing heard that responding officers responded to smoke coming from the unit's window by entering the apartment, where Kirkwood fired three rounds from the ARWEN gun, striking Rauch in the head. 1:07 Vancouver police department shoot and arrest the wrong man She was knocked unconscious and never woke up. Story continues below advertisement Kirkwood told the hearing he believed Lisa posed a danger to others and that he fired the projectiles into the unit, believing he was aiming at her torso. In concluding Kirkwood had committed misconduct, Oppal ruled the sergeant should not have fired at Rauch with his vision obscured by smoke, and that that situation didn't justify potentially deadly force. He accepted that Kirwkood had not intended to kill Rauch, and that the officer felt genuine remorse. He also dismissed allegations that Kirkwood neglected his duty by failing to document his actions. A coroner's inquest into the death is still set to be scheduled in the coming months. — with files from the Canadian Press
National Observer
12-06-2025
- National Observer
Decision coming over an officer's use of anti-riot gun in BC woman's death
An adjudicator appointed by BC's police watchdog is expected to release his decision on the discipline for an officer who fired an anti-riot weapon, killing a woman. Former BC Supreme Court judge Wally Oppal ruled last month that Victoria police Sgt. Ron Kirkwood's use of a so-called ARWEN gun on Lisa Rauch was "reckless and unnecessary." Oppal was appointed by the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner to review the evidence against the officer and determined Kirkwood committed misconduct when he used the weapon on the woman, who was in a drug-induced psychosis. The commission says Oppal, a former BC attorney general, is also expected to issue his decision on possible corrective measures and recommendations for change in relation to his findings. Oppal's ruling said the 43-year-old woman was at a friend's Victoria apartment using drugs and alcohol when she went into the psychosis on Christmas Day 2019. It says when police entered the apartment, their view was obscured by smoke from a fire and they believed Rauch was standing, but she was actually sitting and was hit in the head by two plastic projectiles.
Winnipeg Free Press
12-06-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Decision coming over officer's use of anti-riot gun in B.C. woman's death
VICTORIA – An adjudicator appointed by B.C.'s police watchdog is expected to release his decision on the discipline for an officer who fired an anti-riot weapon, killing a woman. Former B.C. Supreme Court judge Wally Oppal ruled last month that Victoria police Sgt. Ron Kirkwood's use of a so-called ARWEN gun on Lisa Rauch was 'reckless and unnecessary.' Oppal was appointed by the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner to review the evidence against the officer and determined Kirkwood committed misconduct when he used the weapon on the woman, who was in a drug-induced psychosis. The commission says Oppal, a former B.C. attorney general, is also expected to issue his decision on possible corrective measures and recommendations for change in relation to his findings. Oppal's ruling said the 43-year-old woman was at a friend's Victoria apartment using drugs and alcohol when she went into the psychosis on Christmas Day 2019. It says when police entered the apartment, their view was obscured by smoke from a fire and they believed Rauch was standing, but she was actually sitting and was hit in the head by two plastic projectiles. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 12, 2025.
Toronto Star
12-06-2025
- Toronto Star
Decision coming over officer's use of anti-riot gun in B.C. woman's death
VICTORIA - An adjudicator appointed by B.C.'s police watchdog is expected to release his decision on the discipline for an officer who fired an anti-riot weapon, killing a woman. Former B.C. Supreme Court judge Wally Oppal ruled last month that Victoria police Sgt. Ron Kirkwood's use of a so-called ARWEN gun on Lisa Rauch was 'reckless and unnecessary.'
