One of the police officers who was gravely injured in a shootout outside a Saanich, B.C. bank in June has been released from the hospital.
The officer, who has not been identified, was discharged from the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria shortly after 2 p.m. on Friday. He will continue to heal at home with his family, the Saanich Police Department said in a news release.
“This officer’s inner strength, determination, and grit continues to inspire all staff at SPD and our community, along with our other injured officer,” said Chief Const. Dean Duthie in the statement.
“We are so very grateful for the extraordinary care, compassion, and professionalism of the medical staff, nurses, doctors, and surgeons at RJH who assisted and guided the healing of our officer to this day.”
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Officer hurt in Saanich, B.C. bank shootout moved from ICU, another officer discharged
Six officers were injured on June 28 after a gunfight with two armed robbers who had entered a Bank of Montreal on Shelbourne Street in Saanich around 11 a.m. The two suspects were shot dead by police, but the officers — three each from the Saanich and Victoria police departments — were hospitalized, most with gunshot wounds.
All three VicPD officers are now recovering at home, and of the three Saanich officers, only one remains in the hospital, making “progressive improvements day by day,” said Duthie.
The officer released Friday was greeted by several Saanich police officers and officers of the Greater Victoria Emergency Response Team, which also responded to the June shootout. Mounties, seven ground ambulances and a street supervisor were also deployed to the scene.
Police have identified the robbery suspects as brothers Isaac and Mathew Auchterlonie of Duncan, B.C., however numerous questions, including the pair’s motive, remain unknown.
Police have yet to disclose the number and type of firearms the suspects used, how those weapons were acquired, or who shot first when they encountered police outside the Shellbourne Street BMO branch. Police have also not disclosed details about the “improvised explosive devices” they say were located in the suspects’ vehicle, a white 1992 Toyota Camry four-door with two black racing stripes over the hood.
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Global News previously confirmed the 22-year-old brothers worked at Pacific Energy in Duncan until late June, and had previously attended Frances Kelsey Secondary in Mill Bay.
Pictures and videos on a now-deleted Instagram account attributed to Isaac showed a variety of firearms, some with high-capacity magazines, as well as target practice in the forest, anti-Trudeau memes, and material denoting an interest in the Second World War.
With files from Simon Little