VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The head of BC’s new police watchdog agency says he’s prepared to handle serious investigations.

We’re about to find out if that’s true.

“During the early evening of Monday September 10th, an interaction between police officers and the suspect occurred where we can confirm at least one shot was fired,” says Cpl. Craig Douglass with Prince George RCMP.  “As a result of that interaction and in-line with the new policies and procedures, this police involved shooting is being investigated by the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO).”

The shooting occurred on a rural property southeast of Prince George just hours after Independent Investigations Office Civilian Director Richard Rosenthal announced his team was ready to handle cases like police-involved shootings.

“We have four investigative teams that are staffed with investigators, both former police officers and civilians, ready to be deployed to any part of this province as soon as we’re notified of an incident that falls within our mandate,” Rosenthal said yesterday. “They have spent the summer in training and completing other preoccupational tasks in order to be ready for today’s events.”

No officers were injured in the incident.

Prince George Mounties secured the scene and a team of IIO investigators have been dispatched.