Charge approved against Vancouver special constable after crash with bike

VANCOUVER – A Vancouver police special constable faces one count of driving without due care and attention following a collision last summer between a community safety vehicle and a cyclist.

The BC Prosecution Service says the charge has been approved against Special Const. Michael Mazziotti.

It was sworn Thursday, and Mazziotti’s first provincial court appearance is set for Aug. 8.

The prosecution service says in a news release that the charge relates to a July 29, 2018, on-duty collision between the police department’s community safety vehicle and the cyclist.

The cyclist was hurt and an investigation conducted by the civilian agency that probes all cases of police-involved serious injury or death determined there were reasonable grounds to believe an offence had occurred.

The Vancouver Police Department employs special constables as jail and traffic guards and as community safety officers.