A veteran Sunshine Coast RCMP officer has been charged with assault following an investigation by the B.C. RCMP's Professional Standards Unit into the officer's actions during an arrest in June 2011.
According to a police news release, on June 28, 2011, Cpl. Murray McNeil conducted a traffic violation stop. An altercation occurred, which resulted in an arrest of an individual. That individual complained to the Commission for Public Complaints and an internal investigation was launched by the RCMP.
McNeil has been charged with one count of assault causing bodily harm and will appear in provincial court in Sechelt on Aug. 15, 2012. A parallel internal code of conduct investigation was also conducted and substantiated. According to the news release, the officer is currently operational and working under close supervision. Criminal justice branch spokesman Neil MacKenzie confirmed in a phone interview with Coast Reporter on Monday, July 16 that the charge has been approved against the officer in connection to the alleged incident.
"I can't really provide details of the specific allegations that are involved given that it is before the courts, but I can confirm it was in connection to an alleged on-duty incident," MacKenzie said. "I can also confirm that no other individuals have been charged in connection to this alleged incident."
As the matter is before the courts, Sunshine Coast RCMP could not provide further comment this week, but Inspector Janis Gray, assistant operations officer with the Lower Mainland District Regional Police Service, did provide a short statement.
"Accountability is a top priority for the RCMP and this demonstrates that our members are held responsible for their actions," Gray said.
