Court proceedings in the case of a Carcross RCMP officer who had been accused of assaulting a prisoner while on duty in Whitehorse have been stayed by the Crown prosecutor.
Senior Crown Counsel Raegan Rankin entered the stay of proceedings on June 23.
Const. Charles Conway was charged last September following an allegation that he used excessive force while lodging a prisoner at Whitehorse Correctional Centre’s arrest processing unit. He plead not guilty to the charge in April.
The alleged incident was the subject of a criminal investigation helmed by the Northwest Territories RCMP. The British Columbia Public Prosecution Service of Canada was tasked with considering charges based on the investigation results, according to a Yukon RCMP press release.
Conway was placed on administrative duties following the assault allegation coming to light.
In an email to the News, Yukon RCMP stated that Conway has “returned from administrative duties to full duty without restrictions” and is no longer working in Carcross.
“Cst. Conway was transferred as part of normal succession planning when he completed his posting in Carcross and remains an employee of Yukon RCMP,” the email added.
Rankin, an out-of-territory counsel, was brought in to prosecute the case. It is normal to have fly-in counsel for court proceedings involving RCMP officers, according to a staffer with Yukon office of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada (PPSC).
The News was unable to reach Rankin for further comment on the case, and the aforementioned PPSC staffer said the government agency “does not ever comment on stays of proceedings.”
Contact Matthew Bossons at matthew.bossons@yukon-news.com
