A Kelowna RCMP officer is facing a second assault charge, this time for a domestic incident.
Const. Siggy Pietrzak is facing an assault charge for an incident alleged to have happened between May 1, 2017, and Dec. 31, 2017, in West Kelowna. The BC Prosecution Service (BCPS) has marked the file as an intimate partner violence case.
The RCMP says the incident happened while Pietrzak was off duty.
Pietrzak is scheduled to make his first appearance on that matter on July 15.
Pietrzak is also facing an assault charge related to a rough arrest of a suspected impaired driver on May 30, 2020, with that charge being approved nearly a year later in April 2021. Two people caught the altercation on camera and footage shows Pietrzak punching the suspect at least 10 times.
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READ MORE: Kelowna Mountie who punched suspect identified, condemned by sister
Shortly after the incident, the Kelowna RCMP launched both statutory and internal investigations, the findings of which were subject to review by an external police agency before being presented to the BCPS for charge assessment. The RCMP maintains that the suspect was uncooperative with police and was arrested for allegedly obstructing a police officer.
The alleged victim, Tyler Russell, filed a lawsuit against Const. Siggy Pietrzak. The Attorney General of Canada, also named in the lawsuit, denied Pietrzak used excessive force in a response to that claim.
Despite the two charges against him, the BC RCMP confirmed Pietrzak remains suspended with pay and an internal code of conduct investigation is ongoing.
READ MORE: Kelowna Mountie charged with assault for caught-on-camera violent arrest
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