Surrey RCMP have apologized to a man who was apparently beaten after being mistaken for a robbery suspect..RCMP have also referred the case to the BC police watchdog for a full investigation..Alex Fisher, 27, was out for a bike ride February 8 when he was tackled by officers in a case of mistaken identity..Fisher suffered a severely bruised right eye, for which he needs reconstructive surgery next week to repair a broken orbital bone..“The RCMP regrets the mistake made in identifying the man and now offers a complete apology to him,” said the force in a Tuesday statement..Fisher was riding when he heard a RCMP police car’s sirens..“I slowed down to talk to him, see what he wanted. He didn’t give me a chance to use words and just rushed out of his vehicle and tackled me off my bike,” Fisher told Postmedia in an interview. .“I got hit a good few times.”.The RCMP statement said Fisher allegedly resisted arrest..“The suspect had been seen leaving the scene on a bicycle. A responding officer located a person he believed matched the description of the suspect, riding a bicycle nearby and placed him under arrest,” said the statement..“The man allegedly resisted the officer’s attempts to take him into custody and a struggle ensued. With assistance of several back-up officers, the man was taken into custody..“It was later determined the man was not the suspect in the armed robbery and he was released from police custody at the scene. Surrey RCMP has since learned the man suffered serious injuries and the IIO BC has been notified.”
