Williams Lake, B.C., Mountie charged three years after car crash with suspect

VICTORIA – The BC Prosecution Service says it has approved several charges against an RCMP officer, three years after a suspect was seriously injured in a crash with a police cruiser.

The prosecution service says the Mountie faces charges of assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, criminal negligence and dangerous driving.

Prosecutors say the charges against Const. Madeline Hjelden stem from an on-duty motor vehicle incident in Williams Lake, B.C., that occurred in May 2020.

B.C.’s Independent Investigations Office, the civilian police oversight body, forwarded a report on the incident to the prosecutors office in April 2021 for consideration of charges against the officer.

A statement from the office at the time said Williams Lake RCMP officers had been responding to a report of an intoxicated man in emotional distress who left a home on a motorcycle.

The office’s statement says the man fled police when confronted, leading to a chase and an “interaction” between the motorbike and a police cruiser, leaving the suspect with serious injuries.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2023.