Cops cleared of excessive force

Photo: Castanet Staff

A pair of RCMP officers in Penticton will not be criminally charged in relation to an excessive force complaint from earlier this year.

The allegation stems from an incident on March 22 when a vehicle was found in the parking lot of a school, with its engine running around 3 a.m.

When the officers attempted to detain the driver for impaired driving, a physical altercation took place. The driver was then arrested and put in the back of a police car, where he lost consciousness and had to be taken to hospital. The man was released around 1 p.m. the following afternoon. 

The Independent Investigation Office was called in and provided a report to the Criminal Justice Branch, who concluded there was not enough evidence to convict either of the officers of a criminal offence.

However, a charge of assaulting a police officer has been approved against the driver involved in the incident.