Man charged in Mountie’s death
A Langford man has been charged with impaired driving causing the death of West Shore RCMP Const. Sarah Anne Beckett in April.
Kenneth Jacob Fenton, 28, is also facing charges of dangerous driving causing death, flight from police causing death, driving with blood alcohol over .08 and refusing to provide a blood sample to police.
Beckett, a 32-year-old mother of two, was killed at 3:30 a.m. on April 5 when her car was struck by a pickup truck at Peatt Road and Goldstream Avenue in Langford.
Shortly after the crash, Fenton was taken into custody and released the next day without being charged.
The RCMP said Wednesday that Fenton had been arrested again and charged.
He was then released on an undertaking to appear at Western Communities provincial court on Sept. 29. His bail conditions include reporting to a bail supervisor and surrendering his passport. Fenton must abstain from alcohol and non-prescription drugs. He must remain in B.C. and notify police if his address changes.
People all over Greater Victoria expressed their grief after Beckett’s death. Hundreds left bouquets of flowers outside the West Shore RCMP detachment. Thousands watched police officers march to her memorial service at the Q Centre in Colwood.
In July, a memorial plaque was unveiled in her honour in a flower garden at the West Shore RCMP detachment. At the dedication ceremony, B.C. Chief Supt. Ray Bernoties declared it would be mandatory for all new West Shore RCMP officers and employees to read the plaque and learn about Beckett.
Five days ago, Beckett’s name was added to the B.C. Law Enforcement Memorial at the legislature. “As this is now before the courts, it would be inappropriate for me to comment, other than to say thank you, once again, to the community for the overwhelming support we have received,” Bernoties said in a statement.
One of Beckett’s colleagues, who wished to remain anonymous, said her fellow Mounties are relieved charges have finally been approved.
Beckett spent her entire 11 years of service on Vancouver Island, working as a general duty officer, an investigator with the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit and in media relations.
Langford Mayor Stew Young said the seriousness of the charges explains the length of the police investigation.
“Everybody kept asking me: ‘Why are they not laying charges?’ ” he said. “And, obviously, now you know why — there’s due diligence that had to be done by the police on this.”
Young expressed the hope that a transparent justice process would help those trying to come to terms with Beckett’s death.
The criminal investigation into the fatal crash was conducted by the RCMP Island District General Investigations Section. The Saanich Police Department completed an investigation of the collision scene.
The Independent Investigations Office of British Columbia began its own probe, standard in such cases, after it was learned that police tried to stop the pickup truck minutes before it struck Beckett’s police cruiser.
“At this point, our investigation is ongoing,” acting IIO director Marten Youssef said Wednesday. “The focus of the investigation is to see if there is a connection between the death of the affected person and the action or inaction of officers.”
Beckett is the ninth officer who has died while on duty in the Vancouver Island district, the RCMP said.