VANCOUVER - Charges of aggravated assault and assault with a weapon have been laid against an RCMP officer after the fatal shooting in 2015 of a young man in Surrey, B.C.
Const. Elizabeth Cucheran is scheduled to make her first appearance in provincial court on Jan. 9, British Columbia's Prosecution Service said Tuesday.
Hudson Brooks, 20, was shot outside the RCMP's Surrey headquarters in the early hours of July 18, 2015, after police responded to reports of a man screaming, the Mounties have said.
At the time, the RCMP said officers rushed outside and spotted the man, a struggle ensued and he was shot.
Jennifer Brooks said she's relieved charges have been laid in her son's death.
“It's just absolutely so wonderful that there's going to be some accountability here,” she said in an interview.
The Independent Investigations Office, which investigates serious injuries or death involving police in British Columbia, said the shooting occurred as officers responded to reports of a possibly suicidal man. It sent a report to Crown counsel 14 months ago.
The prosecution service said the investigation and charge assessment process took longer than expected, partly because of the complexities of the evidence and requirement for further investigation and analysis.
“I can't rule out other charges in the event that any other information was brought to light, but given the length of the investigation, I expect that there won't be any more charges,” spokesman Dan McLaughlin said.
“These were the charges that the Crown concluded met the charge assessment standard after reviewing all the available evidence.”
Brooks described her son as the life of the party who would cook dinner for the family six times a week.
“Hudson was amazing. He was really athletic. He was very, very funny. The class clown,” she said. “I want people to know that my son's life mattered a great deal to many, many people.”
Brooks is survived by his older brother, Beaudry, and younger siblings, Shayla and Riley.
