Editor:
In July 2015, 20-year-old Hudson Brooks, unarmed and wearing-only shorts, was fatally shot by an RCMP officer (Man killed in struggle with officers, July 22, 2015).
At the time of the shooting, Hudson was obviously experiencing some kind of mental or emotional upset.
There were reportedly at least three RCMP officers at the scene. A police officer was also shot, although the only guns at the scene belonged to the police.
The Independent Investigations Office (IIO) became involved and proceeded to take more than a year to prepare its report (Awaiting answers, July 20).
On Oct. 21, 2016, the IIO send its report to the Crown to decide if charges would be filed (Crown advised to consider charges, Oct. 26).
Since October… nothing.
It is a disgrace that:
1) it takes the IIO more than a year to deliver its report of an incident that involved only an obviously innocent victim and apparently at least three RCMP officers;
2) it has taken more than two months for Crown counsel to make a decision as to whether charges are warranted.
I bet dollars to doughnuts that the next thing we hear is that an independent Crown counsel is being appointed to consider this matter and it is a decision that should have taken place before the IIO report was delivered and should have taken less than a minute to make.
Justice delayed is justice denied.
A.K. MacKinnon, Surrey