The BC Prosecution Service announced on Dec. 14 they will not be seeking charges against a member of the Smithers RCMP involved in an in-custody fatality.
The man was identified at the time as Jacobus Jonker, a Smithers rugby coach.
Read: Man dies as police watchdog investigates
Read: Jonker remembered as dedicated rugby coach
On Feb. 14, 2015 at approximately 11 p.m., a suspect was arrested and transported to the Smithers RCMP police detachment.
The suspect attacked an officer and a physical altercation ensued at the detachment. During the fight another officer held the suspect around his head and neck area.
The suspect lost consciousness and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. He died in hospital on Feb.21, 2015.
The Independent Investigations Office conducted an investigation into the actions of the officer who held the suspect by the head and submitted a report to Crown Counsel for review by the BC Prosecution Service (BCPS).
The BCPS concluded that the available evidence did not meet the BCPS’s charge assessment standard. No charges have been approved.
Read the full story in the Dec. 20 edition of The Interior News.
Summary by the B.C. Prosecution Service:
Summary pdf
