Vancouver cops charged with assault in 2017 arrest of cyclist who wasn't wearing helmet
Three police officers have been charged in connection with a 2017 arrest that left a cyclist seriously injured in East Vancouver.
Police initially approached the cyclist because he wasn't wearing a helmet, lights or reflectors, according to B.C.'s police watchdog, which investigated the arrest and submitted a report to prosecutors in February 2019.
On Friday, the B.C. Prosecution Service announced that Const. Brandon Blue is facing one count of assault causing bodily harm, and constables Beau Spencer and Gregory Jackson are each facing one count of assault.
In a statement, prosecutors addressed the long delay in assessing charges in the case, citing "the complexity of the issues, the volume of initial disclosure, BCPS requests for further information, and subsequent receipt of additional disclosure."
Few details about what took place during the arrest have been shared publicly. The Independent Investigations Office said officers approached the cyclist on the night of May 17, 2017, at the Commercial-Broadway SkyTrain Station, and that he allegedly tried to flee.
Authorities have not detailed the injuries he suffered, but the IIO only investigates police-involved incidents that result in death or serious harm.
The BCPS said it would not be releasing further information now that the case is before the courts.
Blue, Spencer and Jackson are scheduled to make their first court appearance on Oct. 2.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Maple Leafs fall to Bruins in Game 3, trail series 2-1
Brad Marchand scored twice, including the winner in the third period, and added an assist as the Boston Bruins downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2 to take a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series Wednesday
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.
'Life was not fair to him': Daughter of N.B. man exonerated of murder remembers him as a kind soul
The daughter of a New Brunswick man recently exonerated from murder, is remembering her father as somebody who, despite a wrongful conviction, never became bitter or angry.