‘Motorcyclist’s unfortunate decision’ not the fault of Vancouver police: watchdog

SURREY, B.C. — B.C.’s police watchdog has cleared Vancouver officers in relation to the death of a motorcyclist that occurred shortly after a chase had stopped.

The Independent Investigations Office says police tried to conduct a traffic stop on Nov. 6 last year because a motorcycle didn’t have a license plate.

The officers called off the subsequent chase, but the investigations office says a short time later the motorcycle hit a parked car and the rider was pronounced dead at the scene.

The office says the chief civilian director has reviewed the evidence, including video footage from a nearby home and data from the police vehicle that confirm police were no longer trying to stop the motorcyclist at the time of the crash.

It says there are no reasonable grounds to believe that any officer may have committed an offence.

The officers had lawful grounds to attempt a traffic stop, and it says the motorcyclist’s unfortunate decision not to stop was not the responsibility of police.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 12, 2025.

The Canadian Press