2 B.C. Mounties charged with manslaughter, 3 others face obstruction charge
Two RCMP officers are accused of manslaughter in the July 2017 death of an Indigenous man in Prince George, B.C., while three of their fellow Mounties are charged with attempting to obstruct justice.
The BC Prosecution Service said in a statement Wednesday that constables Paul Ste-Marie and Jean Francois Monette have been charged with manslaughter.
Sgt. Jon Eusebio Cruz and constables Arthur Dalman and Clarence MacDonald are accused of attempting to obstruct justice.
The person who died was 35-year-old Arthur Culver, also known as Dale Culver, an Indigenous man from the Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en Nations, who was arrested in Prince George on July 18, 2017.
An RCMP release from the time says police received a report about a man casing vehicles and found a suspect who tried to flee on a bicycle.
B.C.'s police watchdog, the Independent Investigations Office, investigated the death and issued a recommendation of charges to the prosecution service in May 2020.
LOVED ONES REACT TO CHARGES LAID
Culver's loved one said they're pleased by the prosecution.
"I'm happy that it's going through and it's giving closure to Dale's family and friends and it helps with any other cases across North America," said Johnny Lee Morris, Culver's longtime friend.
"I'm feeling relieved that Dale's death is being noticed. And I know anybody that knows Dale knows that had (police) stopped and talked to him properly, that this wouldn't have happened," added Sylvia Jack, Culver's friend from high school.
"I'm glad this is bringing awareness that the RCMP do need a little more training and be better equipped with handling situations like this," she continued.
Terry Teegee, Regional Chief with the B.C. Assembly of First Nations said the charges might provide some relief and hope for loved ones.
" I don't know if they'll ever find real justice but this is a good step to question and to acknowledge that there is a real problem to the policing system here in British Columbia and in Canada," he said.
“TROUBLING ALLEGATIONS” INVESTIGATED
A report from the investigations office said there was a struggle when police tried to take the man into custody, other officers were called and pepper spray was used. Officers noticed the man appeared to have trouble breathing before he died while in police custody, the report said.
Following Culver's death, the BC Civil Liberties Association said it was aware of reports from eyewitnesses that Culver “was taken forcibly to the ground by RCMP members immediately after exiting a liquor store, apparently unprovoked.”
The association said there were “troubling allegations” that RCMP members told witnesses to delete cellphone video that they had taken.
“This would provide a strong basis on which to question the accuracy of certain RCMP members' statements to investigators and notes, as well as RCMP public statements,” the association wrote in a 2018 letter to the chairperson of the civilian review and complaints commission for the RCMP.
Brian Sauve, president of the National Police Federation, said in a statement that in-custody deaths are rare and tragic and the process in this case was “far from timely.”
“The investigation by the Independent Investigations Office of BC, the charge assessment by the BC Prosecution Service, and the ultimate charge approval decision by BC Crown counsel took almost six years, creating an extensive period of uncertainty for our members, Mr. Culver's family, and the community of Prince George,” he said.
“While we understand the challenges associated with insufficient funding and human resources, this delay is simply unacceptable and unfair, and British Columbians deserve better.”
He said plans to deploy body-worn cameras across Canada will help protect police and the public and provide transparency, evidence, and accountability.
“Out of respect for those involved, we ask that everyone allow the legal process to unfold in the courtroom, rather than in the media.”
The prosecution service said the charges were approved by an experienced criminal lawyer who has no prior or current connection with the officers.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 1, 2023.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Tahmina Aziz
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter banned from NBA
Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been handed a lifetime ban from The National Basketball Association (NBA) following an investigation which found he disclosed confidential information to sports bettors, the league says.
BREAKING Former Air Canada employees among suspects identified in gold heist at Pearson airport: police
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Earthquake jolts southern Japan
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 hit southern Japan late on Wednesday, said the Japan Meteorological Agency, without issuing a tsunami warning.
MPs summon ArriveCan contractor to the House to be admonished in rare parliamentary display
Enacting an extraordinarily rarely used parliamentary power, MPs have summoned an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon to be admonished publicly for failing to answer their questions.
opinion Don Martin: Gusher of Liberal spending won't put out the fire in this dumpster
A Hail Mary rehash of the greatest hits from the Trudeau government’s three-week travelling pony-show, the 2024 federal budget takes aim at reversing the party’s popularity plunge in the under-40 set, writes political columnist Don Martin. But will it work before the next election?
Gas prices across Ontario expected to climb to levels not seen since 2022, analyst says
Ontario is going to see a big jump at the pumps later this week as gas prices in the province hit levels not seen in nearly two years, according to one industry analyst.
Ancient skeletons unearthed in France reveal Mafia-style killings
More than 5,500 years ago, two women were tied up and probably buried alive in a ritual sacrifice, using a form of torture associated today with the Italian Mafia, according to an analysis of skeletons discovered at an archaeological site in southwest France.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon’s sons have released a single together
A new Lennon and McCartney collaboration is the last thing anybody expected.
Some millennials say federal budget was 'a letdown' amid cost of living struggles
It’s a picture-perfect scene: Adam and Maria Reynolds are playing with their daughters inside their Port Coquitlam, B.C. home. Watching them together, you might not realize the Reynolds household is stretched to its limit.