B.C. police officer accused of sexual assault has died, sources say

Warning: This story contains a reference to suicide.

One of the two B.C. police officers charged this week with sexually assaulting the same "vulnerable" woman has died, CTV News has learned.

Several law enforcement sources said they were informed Sgt. Matthew Ball of the Central Saanich Police Service took his own life following his arrest Tuesday on Vancouver Island.

Ball was 43.

The B.C. Prosecution Service approved charges against Ball and Const. Ryan Johnston the same day, following an investigation by the Vancouver Police Department that began in October.

Few details of the allegations against the two men have been made public, except that they happened separately, in incidents dating back to January 2019, while each was on duty.

"The current evidence suggests that each officer formed separate intimate and inappropriate relationships with the woman at different times after meeting her during the course of their duties," said Deputy Chief Fiona Wilson of the Vancouver police, at a news conference Tuesday.

"Those relationships led to the alleged crimes for which the officers have now been charged."

Ball was facing one count of sexual assault and one count of breach of trust. Johnston is charged with one count of sexual assault.

The alleged victim is in her mid-20s and from Central Saanich, a Victoria suburb of around 18,000 people. While authorities described her as "vulnerable" while announcing the charges against Ball and Johnston, they declined to provide further details to prevent sharing anything that might identify her.

The Vancouver Police Department said their investigation is still in its early stages, and that further charges are possible. Johnston is on paid suspension in the meantime.

Ball had been with the Central Saanich Police Service since 2016, and was working in the patrol division prior to his arrest. He was previously with the Calgary Police Service for 12 years.

Kash Heed, former police chief and B.C. solicitor general, says on top of the criminal investigation into the officers, there should be a review of the officer's death and whether something could have been done to prevent it.

“This is no excuse for the alleged criminal conduct of these officers, however, once that is there, we have to make sure procedures are in place so we don’t go through further trauma and tragedy,” he continued.

Heed also calls these allegations another major hit to police credibility.

“We have to start to bring in policies to bring back the credibility so we can look at this as a profession, an outstanding profession, and have the right people out there in our communities,” he said. 

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Lisa Steacy and Ben Nesbit

If you or someone you know is in crisis, here are some resources that are available:

• Suicide Crisis Helpline (988)
• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (1-800-463-2338)
• Crisis Services Canada (1-833-456-4566, or 45645 by text)
• Kids Help Phone [phone])
• If you need immediate assistance, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital