The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner will be holding a public hearing in regards to the actions of a Victoria officer that resulted in a woman’s death in 2019.
From April 15 to 19, a retired judge will sit as the adjudicator and arrive at a decision as to whether there was misconduct during the incident in which an officer discharged three less-lethal rounds at the woman’s head and neck, resulting in her death.
The police complaint commissioner has identified the woman as 43-year-old Lisa Rauch. The notice of public hearing says Rauch was “suffering from several vulnerabilities” at the time of her death, including being unhoused and living as a member of the marginalized and at-risk community.
The appointed adjudicator will review evidence and call upon witnesses whether or not they were interviewed in the initial investigation.
The incident occurred on Dec. 25, 2019, and the Independent Investigations Office of B.C., a police watchdog, in 2020 cleared Const. Ron Kirkwood, the accused officer, of recklessness and negligence in relation to the death.
The woman’s family filed a complaint under the police act and requested a public hearing after, noting inconsistencies in the evidence and information they were provided by the police and another watchdog garnered further review.
The hearing is scheduled to start at 10 a.m. on Monday at 947 Fort St. It’s currently scheduled to run for three weeks from April 15 to May 10.
– With files from Jake Romphf
Read More: Public hearing date set for Victoria officer in relation to woman’s death