FILE PHOTO

(JOHN MCDONALD / iNFOnews.ca)

The BC Prosecution Service won't be charging a 100 Mile House police officer after he punched and stomped a suspect during an arrest in 2020.

RCMP tried to stop the driver of a silver Chevrolet pickup on Oct. 25, 2020, but it took four spike belts before he was caught in a foot chase, according to a news release from the prosecution service issued today, July 11.

Neither the Indigenous suspect nor the officers involved were named in the news release, but the prosecution service said the incident started with a call to Clinton RCMP that morning.

A civilian saw the truck driving "very erratically" and passed four vehicles on a blind Highway 97 corner near Clinton, nearly missing an oncoming vehicle.

It was headed toward Williams Lake as 100 Mile House RCMP found the truck around 9:22 a.m. Officers attempted to stop the truck twice, but it continued to flee despite sirens and emergency lights.

Police did not know who was behind the wheel, but they were told the pickup was registered to someone associated to the "drug culture" and that Kamloops RCMP seized a .22 calibre handgun, a knife and a mask from inside the vehicle just 10 days earlier.

As the pursuit continued, the officer under investigation waited at a check stop near Amarillo Road in 150 Mile House.

The suspect truck approached and briefly stopped behind a line of traffic, but accelerated toward the officer who was standing outside his own police cruiser.

The officer pulled out his pistol and pointed it at the pickup. It sped by "very close" to the officer and no bullets were fired.

After four spike belt attempts finally flattened all four tires on the truck, it continued to flee until it got stuck on an embankment and the suspect fled the truck.

The officer under investigation ran to help another Mountie who was struggling to get the suspect in handcuffs.

He punched the suspect in the upper body four times, "stamped once forcefully" on his back, then pushed the suspect's head with his foot.

The Independent Investigations Office of BC began investigating after the suspect complained of bruising and swelling due to the arrest, although he refused medical treatment both at the scene and at the detachment.

BC's police watchdog recommended charges to the BC Prosecution Service, but the Crown found the evidence did not meet its standard for an assault charge.

The prosecution service noted that police officers aren't required to use the minimum possible force necessary, but instead use force within a "reasonable range" of options.

The suspect was charged with dangerous driving, flight from police, willfully obstructing a peace officer and driving while prohibited, but it's not clear from the news release whether he was convicted.

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