B.C. police officers face 3 separate charges

Const. Saxon Peters has already been charged with aggravated assault, unlawful confinement and two counts of obstruction of justice in connection with the alleged beating of an aboriginal man on Aug. 25, 2005.

It's alleged Peters took 25-year-old Glenn Shuter for a ride on the outskirts of town, where he beat him and left him.

But on Monday, Crown prosecutor Stephen Harrison dropped the unlawful confinement charge and replaced it with the Criminal Code offence of torture.

Harrison also received approval from the Attorney General's Ministry to proceed by direct indictment.

That means Peters, who is on unpaid suspension, will go directly to trial without a preliminary inquiry.

Peters is accused of beating Shuter, who he suspected of stealing another officer's bicycle, and then leaving him to walk 10 kilometres back to town to seek medical help.

Shuter allegedly suffered injuries to his head, face and stomach.

In an interview with The Vancouver Sun newspaper in September 2005, he said the beating lasted several minutes and ended only when he spit out blood and broken teeth and begged the officer to get off him.

"It was crazy. I was worried I was going to die," Shuter said.

Harrison refused to comment Tuesday on why he decided to charge Peters with torture, saying detailing the offence "would be inappropriate given the matter is before the courts."

Arthur Dick, chief of the Lower Nicola Band, told Global News that the incident turns his stomach.

"I'm just flabbergasted, you know, I just don't know what to say about that," Dick said.

Shuter never filed a complaint against the RCMP but only reluctantly revealed the details of what happened to a senior Mountie more than a week after the incident occurred.

RICHMOND MOUNTIE FACES CHILD PORN PROBE

South of Vancouver, in the city of Richmond, B.C., the Mounties are investigating one of their own officers in connection with child pornography and other possible criminal activities.

The officer -- whose name has not been released -- was arrested Jan. 27. He was released on a promise to appear at a later court date.

No charges have been laid, pending the results of the investigation. The officer has been suspended with pay.

Richmond RCMP spokesman Cpl. Peter Thiessen said investigators are also looking into allegations of unsafe storage of a firearm at home and at work involving the same officer, as well as other possible criminal charges.

Thiessen said the criminal investigation is the result of an internal investigation that began several weeks ago.

He would not comment on what prompted the internal investigation, nor provide detail on the allegations.

Thiessen said it's not easy for police to arrest one of their own members, "however, the community and the public can be assured we are going to carry out our duty regardless. . . ."

"Richmond RCMP are taking these allegations extremely seriously, and if supported by the appropriate evidence, charges will be forwarded for approval," he said.

NEW WESTMINSTER OFFICER FACES ASSAULT CHARGE

Finally, east of Vancouver in the municipality of New Westminster, a police officer who remains under investigation for fatally shooting a 16-year-old in August 2005 has been charged with assault after allegedly kicking a handcuffed prisoner just weeks before the shooting.

Const. Todd Sweet was charged Tuesday with assault causing bodily harm and suspended from the New Westminster force with pay in connection with the alleged kicking incident in June 2005. Details of the matter have only recently become public.

"I want to state clearly to the residents of New Westminster that no matter what the outcome, neither I nor any of my officers will ever tolerate the mistreatment of those in our custody," New Westminster Police Chief Lorne Zapotichny said at a press conference at police headquarters.

"We have a responsibility to deliver the highest level of care and professionalism at all times," he said.

Sweet -- who has been the subject of either lawsuits, internal investigations, or both, in at least four separate incidents -- had been on desk duty since he shot and killed 16-year-old Kyle Tait.

Tait was a passenger in a stolen SUV at the time of the shooting, and Sweet has said he feared "significant bodily harm" because the driver was trying to use the vehicle as a weapon.

On Tuesday, Zapotichny said the criminal matter in the shooting case is still under review by Crown counsel.

Sweet was also being sued in separate actions by William Harris and Patricia de Laney, who alleged Sweet used excessive force. Harris's suit was settled out of court last June and de Laney's has not yet been resolved, Zapotichny said Tuesday.

In the incident that led to Tuesday's charges, Sweet is said to have assaulted a man after a chase that lasted about 10 minutes.

New Westminster Staff Sgt. Casey Dehaas said Sweet had begun to apprehend Anthony John Wesley White, who was allegedly driving a stolen car.

White, 30, allegedly crashed the stolen Toyota Matrix during the chase and was taken into custody. Dehaas said Sweet allegedly kicked White in the head once he was in custody and in handcuffs.

He could not say what injuries White suffered as a result.

Zapotichny said all aspects of the incident are being investigated, "including the manner in which the incident was first reported and responded to."

When asked to explain, Zapotichny said he only found out about the incident after an anonymous letter was sent to the police complaints commissioner, which he said happened two weeks after the alleged incident.

He said other officers were at the scene at the time.

Zapotichny said he did not remove Sweet from active duty immediately after receiving the letter -- and before the shooting of Tait-- because he did not have enough evidence to substantiate the complaint.

"The matter needed to be investigated and I was not in a position to prejudge the situation until the matter was fully investigated," he said, noting it was a "complex" investigation that took 18 months to complete.

Sweet could not be reached to comment on Tuesday.

Zapotichny, however, was quick to vouch for the veteran officer's character.

"He's a 16-year veteran who has served the community in a very professional and proud manner," Zapotichny said.

"He was certainly an officer that was committed to serving the community."

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