Local Mountie won’t be charged

No charges will be laid against a Prince George RCMP officer for an arrest gone awry, the B.C. Prosecution Service said Wednesday.

The suspect suffered a broken leg as he was apprehended on the night of July 11, 2015, when the officer and a partner were on bike patrol and saw individuals coming out of a treed area along Patricia Boulevard where people are known to gather to drink.

When the officers went for a closer look, they noticed a scattering of empty beer cans amongst a group of people, two of whom they had dealt with earlier that evening, and another so drunk he was incapable of saying his name.

As they decided to arrest the three for public drunkenness, a fourth was heard yelling from the street.

The group said he had previously been causing problems earlier in the evening which prompted the officers to worry he might try to start a fight.

And because the man was staggering in the middle of Patricia Boulevard, they also worried he might be hit by a car.

The arresting officer rode his bike over to the man and told him to stop. But he ignored the demand, walked away and then resisted when the officer attempted to make an arrest. The man was subsequently taken to the ground and he suffered a fracture to the upper shinbone on his left leg, which required surgery.

The Independent Investigations Office – the province’s civilian-based police watchdog – investigated the incident and subsequently submitted a report to the BCPS for review after finding the officer may have committed an offence. However, the BCPS concluded the available evidence does not meet the agency’s charge assessment standard.

“The BCPS would not be able to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer committed a criminal offence or used excessive force in the administration or enforcement of the law,” the agency said in a statement.