Image Credit: Facebook
July 23, 2018 - 5:31 PM
KELOWNA - Kelowna RCMP took no action against one of its own members who created some controversy in July when video of his encounter with a passenger during a traffic stop reached social media.
In the video, the unnamed officer admitted he stopped a vehicle because the passenger showed visible signs he was upset because the officer was on his computer at an intersection. The officer stopped the vehicle for no other reason and once the passenger asked if the officer was distracted driving, the officer can be heard ordering a vehicle inspection to retaliate.
RCMP Supt. Nick Romanchuk told infoNEWS.ca at the time he was concerned about what he saw in the video and said he would investigate. Reached recently by email for follow up, he said there wasn’t enough evidence about the encounter to warrant any action and he says the video missed out important points.
“Essentially, I'm left with a situation where I have received video of only a portion of the event,” Romanchuk said. “The officer involved is of the position that his interactions are taken out of context given the limited amount of video provided. He provided explanations that are reasonable in the absence of other evidence. He did not order a vehicle inspection.”
Shawn Michaelz, the man in the video, which has been shared nearly 2,700 times, never pursued the matter and refused comment to news outlets saying he didn’t want to make a bigger deal about it.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Marshall Jones at mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2018