The long-delayed legal trial of RCMP Const. Lacy Browning was set to start Monday afternoon in provincial court docket in Kelowna, B.C., however shortly ended in a guilty plea.
As the lone depend of assault was learn aloud in court docket at first of what was to be a six-day trial, Browning replied, “Guilty, your honour” to the cost.
Browning initially pleaded not guilty in January 2022.
She was accused of putting and dragging nursing scholar Mona Wang throughout a wellness check on the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus in January 2020.
WATCH | Video captures Mona Wang being dragged:
RCMP officer drags scholar down a hallway after which steps on her head after detaining the girl throughout a wellness check.
The court docket heard Browning had signed an agreed assertion of info collectively submitted by the B.C. Prosecution Service and defence legal professionals.
A sentencing listening to will likely be set at a later date, most definitely in 2023.
Browning walked out of the courtroom on the finish of the day’s listening to, free on bail. She was positioned on RCMP administrative desk responsibility in June 2020.
Security digital camera recorded incident
A surveillance digital camera video captured the moments after Browning arrived at an house constructing. It reveals the Kelowna RCMP officer dragging a girl down a hallway and stepping on her head.
The video was submitted in a civil lawsuit Wang filed in B.C. Supreme Court in March 2020 in opposition to Browning and the RCMP.
In the discover of declare, Wang says she was experiencing psychological misery on the night of Jan. 20, 2020, and her boyfriend referred to as the RCMP requesting a wellness check.
“Browning proceeded to assault the plaintiff by stepping on the plaintiff’s arm,” the lawsuit states. “Browning kicked the plaintiff in the abdomen whereas the plaintiff was misleading on the toilet ground semi-conscious.”
According to the lawsuit, Browning handcuffed Wang after which dragged her out of the suite, down a hallway towards the ground’s elevator whereas punching her in the face.
The officer took Wang into custody with out telling her why she was being detained and transported her to the Kelowna General Hospital, in accordance to the civil declare.
In Browning’s assertion of defence, the officer disputed the declare, saying that solely vital drive was used to subdue the coed when she turned violent. Browning claimed Wang had a field cutter in her hand and denied that she assaulted the coed.
None of these claims have been examined in court docket.
The civil lawsuit was settled out of court docket in June 2021. The phrases of the settlement are coated by a confidentiality clause.
Investigation into incident confronted delays, criticism
The legal investigation into Browning’s actions took virtually two years, involving exterior police forces and a public apology from the Kelowna RCMP.
In July 2020, RCMP southeast district Chief Supt. Brad Haugli held a information convention in response to the general public outcry and protests over the video proof.
“High public confidence is what we attempt for and after we develop into conscious of regarding behaviour, we want to guarantee the general public that we’re taking the required steps to collect all of the info,” stated Haugli.
RCMP turned over their legal investigation to Abbotsford police for exterior evaluation. In an uncommon transfer, the Abbotsford police returned the file to the RCMP, stating “additional investigation [is] required.”
A last investigative report to the B.C. Crown Prosecution Service for consideration of legal costs was submitted in April 2021. The Crown laid the only assault cost in August 2021.