There are still no charges arising from an incident in which an off-duty Abbotsford police officer was attacked outside a restaurant in Nelson in July.
Const. Allan Young was seriously injured after he allegedly approached a man causing a disturbance. Young died three days later.
Dan McLaughlin of the B.C. Prosecution Service, responding to a request from the Nelson Star on Jan. 22, wrote in an email, “The BCPS has no information to provide regarding the progress of the investigation into the death of Abbotsford Police Officer Allan Young in Nelson.”
Chief Paul Burkart of the Nelson Police Department, in an email to the Nelson Star in September, said that the Crown had received all the information it needed from the police.
In July, police reported that a 26-year-old man was arrested, but the two agencies have so far said nothing about the person’s identity or about the status of the case, except that it is still under investigation.
In a criminal investigation, the police assess whether there is enough evidence to recommend to Crown counsel that charges be laid.
In deciding whether to lay charges, Crown counsel considers whether there is a strong likelihood of conviction and if prosecuting the case would be in the public interest. If a charge is laid, a date is then set for the accused to appear in court.
If the Crown decides not to lay charges, they are under no obligation to inform the public of this.
READ MORE:
• No charges yet in death of Abbotsford officer Allan Young
• Abbotsford officer remembered for sense of humour after dying in off-duty Nelson assault
• Nelson residents leave a light on for deceased Abbotsford officer
