Delay to review of alleged assault by Kelowna Mountie ‘wearing down’ Mona Wang: lawyer
Posted August 31, 2020 4:11 pm.
Last Updated August 31, 2020 4:43 pm.
KELOWNA (NEWS 1130) — The lawyer for a nursing student accusing a Kelowna Mountie of assault says it’s taking too long to complete what he says should be a simple external review.
The Abbotsford Police Department is responsible for reviewing the Kelowna RCMP’s criminal investigation into the actions of Const. Lacy Browning during a wellness check, however, the department says it has returned the review to RCMP, “with further investigation required.”
“We are conducting the necessary follow-up, I have no diary date with respect to when this will be completed,” RCMP’s Sgt. Janelle Shoihet tells NEWS 1130 in an email.
Earlier this summer, video surfaced of Mona Wang being dragged down a hallway by the Mountie later seen stepping on her head during a wellness check that happened in January.
RELATED: Wellness check system needs overhaul, no police: advocacy group
Michael Patterson, Wang’s lawyer, says she was promised updates on the investigation Browning, and delays are causing Wang unnecessary stress.
“It’s truly wearing her down. She didn’t make up this story. It’s clear for everyone to see,” he says. “She was a woman in distress. What she should have been given was help, and she didn’t get that. So now, she participated in an investigation that seemed to be going nowhere.”
Watch: Kelowna RCMP officer seen dragging, stepping on head of UBC student during wellness check
Patterson adds it could take several months for the RCMP to give Abbotsford Police the information required to complete their investigation.
“This is not complex. Why does it seem to be one rule for the police and one rule for everybody else? Why can’t this be done properly?” Patterson says.
“She would like to move on with her life, but she has been abused physically, mentally, despite the platitudes from the RCMP that they apologized. Nothing seems to be coming of this, from the criminal side, that is,” he says.
In July, the commanding officer for the Southeast district of the RCMP apologized to Wang after surveillance video of the wellness check was widely circulated.
“Justice delayed is justice denied, both for Browning and for my client. This is really and truly laughable,” Patterson says.
Browning remains on desk duty while an internal code of conduct investigation is also being conducted by the RCMP.
Wang filed a civil suit against Browning in March.
RELATED: B.C. nursing student dragged, stepped on by RCMP officer rallies among supporting protesters
Browning has denied the allegations and claims Wang was “combative” when the RCMP attended, adding she supposedly resisted arrest and hit the officer “several times with an open palm.”
A second woman is accusing Browning of excessive force and has filed a lawsuit against the Mountie as well.
-With files from Monika Gul and Hana Mae Nassar
