B.C.’s police watchdog has forwarded a report on an April 2016 crash that killed a West Shore Mountie to Crown for consideration of charges against another officer involved.
Const. Sarah Beckett, a wife and mother of two, was killed when a civilian pick-up truck crashed into her police cruiser in the early hours of April 5 in Langford. The driver accused in her death faces charges including impaired driving and has yet to enter a plea.
The IIO said Thursday that in the moments before the crash, another RCMP officer tried unsuccessfully to pull over the civilian vehicle before it struck Beckett’s cruiser.
The unidentified officer was the subject of the IIO investigation.
The IIO was notified of the incident right away, but didn't launch an investigation until the officer provided new information days later.
“The focus of the IIO investigation relates to the actions of the RCMP officer who attempted to stop and pull over the civilian’s vehicle,” the IIO wrote in a news release. “The IIO’s investigation includes the circumstances surrounding the collision and the subsequent information provided by the subject officer to the RCMP.”
The organization said reports are forwarded to Crown when the IIO’s Chief Civilian Director “considers that an officer may have committed an offence under any enactment.”
The Criminal Justice Branch is now responsible for determining whether charges will be approved.
The report sheds new light on what happened in the moments before the crash after nearly a year of speculation.
Kenneth Jacob Fenton, the man accused of crashing into Beckett’s cruiser, has been charged with impaired driving causing death, dangerous driving causing death and flight from police causing death in the incident.
An arraignment hearing scheduled for last week was delayed so lawyers could obtain the IIO report prior to proceeding.
The IIO says it will not issue a public report or provide further information on the investigation.
