Family of man killed by police renews call for charges, after 2nd rejection by police watchdog

The family of Kyaw Din, who was shot dead by Ridge Meadows RCMP at his home in 2019, is again calling for charges to be filed by Crown prosecutors, after the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. (IIOBC) declined for a second time to recommend them.

The IIO is a civilianpolice oversight agency responsible for conducting investigations into incidents of death or serious harm involving police officers, whether they are on or off duty.

Din's sister and brother held a Zoom call with reporters on Monday to repeat their claims that police and paramedics at the scene of the deadly shooting in August2019, didn't tell investigators the truth about the incident.

On Thursday, the family received a letter from RonMacDonald, theIIOBC'schief civilian director, which again rejected itsrequest to have the case forwarded to prosecutors to file murder and criminal negligence charges againstthe police officers involved in the incident.

"We do not accept the decision. We will continue totry to get Kyaw's file to the Crown to get justice for him," said his brother, Min Aung,on Monday.

According to the IIOBC report on Din's deathreleased in September, the officers' actions were "reasonable and appropriate."

"Their actions do not constitute any form of criminal negligence or other criminal act," said the report.

Aung and one of Kyaw Din's sisters, Yin Yin Din, repeated their version of the deadly encounter on Monday, again saying how their accounts differ dramatically from the witness accounts of the officers and paramedics, including where Yin Yin Din was in the house at the time, her response, and what was said by officers.

Officers claimed Kyaw Din, who had schizophrenia, risked harming himself and charged them with a knife before they shot him.

Yin Yin Din claims her brother was calm and had previously had other peaceful encounters with police.

The family has written to the province's attorney general, David Eby, to ask that charges be forwarded to prosecutors, but hasn't heard back.

The BCCoroners Service said after the September IIOBC report was released that the agency could then begin its fact-finding investigation.

According to Din's family, the coroners service is now reviewing the case and the family is waiting for it to schedule a coroner's inquest.

Coroner'sinquests are meant to assess the facts of an incident and make recommendations to avoid similar deaths infuture but do not assign blame.