The RCMP logo is seen outside the force's 'E' division headquarters in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, March 16, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
VICTORIA – The BC Prosecution Service says it has approved several charges against an RCMP officer, three years after a suspect was seriously injured in a crash with a police cruiser.
The prosecution service says the Mountie faces charges of assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, criminal negligence and dangerous driving.
Prosecutors say the charges against Const. Madeline Hjelden stem from an on-duty motor vehicle incident in Williams Lake, B.C., that occurred in May 2020.
B.C.’s Independent Investigations Office, the civilian police oversight body, forwarded a report on the incident to the prosecutors office in April 2021 for consideration of charges against the officer.
A statement from the office at the time said Williams Lake RCMP officers had been responding to a report of an intoxicated man in emotional distress who left a home on a motorcycle.
The office’s statement says the man fled police when confronted, leading to a chase and an “interaction” between the motorbike and a police cruiser, leaving the suspect with serious injuries.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2023.
