Winnipeg police won't be charged in 2009 arrest
CBC News
Posted: Apr 5, 2012 3:39 PM CT
Last Updated: Apr 5, 2012 4:42 PM CT
Winnipeg police officers who were involved in the 2009 arrest of Cody Bousquet — who was allegedly beaten while he was arrested — will not face criminal charges, the RCMP announced today.
The RCMP, which was tasked with investigating the conduct of Winnipeg police officers in Bousquet's arrest, said on Thursday that an independent Crown counsel is not recommending any criminal charges in the case.
Bousquet was 18 years old when he was arrested in connection with a stolen vehicle incident in Winnipeg on Feb. 27, 2009.
Bousquet later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and assaulting a police officer.
At his sentencing hearing in January 2010, court saw surveillance video of Winnipeg police officers holding Bousquet down while others kicked, punched and kneed him.
This surveillance video image from Feb. 27, 2009, shows Winnipeg police officers holding down and handcuffing Cody Bousquet outside an auto parts store. (Dan Manning)He was also struck twice with a stun gun, according to Bousquet's lawyer, who said his client was unrecognizable because of his injuries.
The video was recorded after Bousquet led police on a chase in a stolen pickup truck, which ended in the parking lot of an automotive parts retailer on Isabel Street and Notre Dame Avenue.
The incident prompted the Winnipeg Police Service to ask the RCMP to investigate the officers' conduct.
The RCMP investigation included watching the video, reviewing Winnipeg police records, interviewing individuals involved, and obtaining the opinion of an out-of-province expert in the use of force.
The results of that investigation was given to Manitoba Justice, which asked an independent Crown counsel from Ontario to review the case, according to the RCMP.
No reasons were given as to why the counsel did not recommend any charges.
Share Tools
Latest Manitoba News Headlines
- Winnipeg police raid houses on Home Street
- Winnipeg police took a number of people into custody on Friday evening, as part of a raid of two houses in the city's West End. more »
- B.C. Lions sign quarterback Joey Elliott
- The B.C. Lions on Friday announced the signing of free agent quarterback Joey Elliott, who spent the past three seasons with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. more »
- Doors Open Winnipeg offers access to architectural gems
- The 10th annual Doors Open Winnipeg, an initiative of Heritage Winnipeg, opens the doors of more than 80 buildings and sites around the city this weekend. more »
- Winnipeg couple fights schizophrenia challenges together
- Winnipeggers Sean and Doris Miller have been married for 14 years, but reaching that anniversary has been a feat in itself since Sean was diagnosed with schizophrenia. more »
Must Watch
Top News Headlines
- Will Rob Ford's supporters leave Ford Nation?
- The growing controversy over a purported video alleging to show Toronto Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine may be testing the faith of even his most die-hard supporters. But experts say Ford's policies may trump whatever personal issues he's facing, and that his supporters may rally behind him. more »
- Royal Bank pledges not to outsource jobs for cash savings
- Royal Bank has promised it will never outsource a Canadian job to a foreign worker solely to save money. more »
- Neil Macdonald: How serious is Obama about curbing the drone surge?
- In a key speech this week, the U.S. president set out a host of supposed new safeguards for America's controversial practice of remote-controlled rough justice. But as Neil Macdonald writes, the underlying rationale for drone use has not fundamentally changed. more »
- Making The Mandela Tapes
- Producer Robin Benger describes how he obtained broadcast access to interviews Nelson Mandela recorded in the 1990s. A CBC Radio Ideas program on the Mandela tapes airs May 28. more »
- Toronto Mayor Rob Ford denies using crack cocaine
- The mayor of Canada's largest city told a packed news conference that he doesn't use crack cocaine and isn't a crack addict. more »
- Winnipeg police raid houses on Home Street
- Manitoba grandparents prep for provincial bodybuilding contest
- Doctor found guilty in sex assault on paralyzed teen
- Man breaks into Wellington Crescent home while girl sleeps
- Winnipeg couple fights schizophrenia challenges together
- Teenage girl charged in Pauingassi man's death
- Manitoba ex-MPs 'vindicated' with robocalls ruling
- MTS to sell Allstream, put $200M to pension and debt
- Winnipeg gets first urban reserve

