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Lower Post, B.C., man suing Yukon RCMP over assault allegation

Suit alleges man ended up with ‘ended up with bruising on his arms, biceps and chest’
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(Black Press file)

A man is suing the RCMP and Attorney General of Canada over allegations that a Watson Lake officer assaulted him while he was in custody in 2015.

In a statement of claim filed to the Yukon Supreme Court Dec. 1, Matthew Pete, a citizen of Daylu Dena First Nation who lives in Lower Post, B.C., alleges he was assaulted by Const. Brad Kelly in December 2015. At the time, the claim says, Kelly was stationed at the Watson Lake RCMP detachment and had arrested Pete on allegations of a break-and-enter and sexual assault.

Kelly interviewed Pete, then 18, the lawsuit alleges, after which Pete was returned to a holding cell. The statement alleges that Kelly entered the cell “sometime after the interview.”

“Kelly grabbed the plaintiff aggressively and for no apparent reason and used a lot of force by assaulting him in the upper body area with his hands and throwing him upon the cell floor,” the lawsuit alleges, adding that Pete ended up with bruising on his arms, biceps and chest and was sore for a month.

The lawsuit alleges that Kelly did not tell anyone about the assault nor check on Pete afterwards.

The allegations have not been proven in court.

Contact Jackie Hong at jackie.hong@yukon-news.com