Vancouver officer charged with assault: prosecutor

A Vancouver police officer has been charged with assault with a weapon, dangerous driving and attempting to obstruct justice.

The BC Prosecution Service has approved charges of assault with a weapon, attempting to obstruct justice, and dangerous driving against a VPD officer involved in the arrest of a shoplifting suspect on May 9, 2019 in Vancouver. https://t.co/zvM7UhVUPP #BCPS #OPCC pic.twitter.com/tXad3KOOCJ

— BCProsecutionService (@BCProsecution) April 6, 2021

The BC Prosecution Service says Const. Jonathan Kempton has been charged after the arrest of a shoplifting suspect in May 2019.

The service says in a statement on Tuesday that the charges were approved by an experienced Crown counsel with no connection to the officer.

It says two counts of assault with a weapon and one count each of attempting to obstruct justice and dangerous driving were sworn on Monday.

Because the case is now before the courts, the prosecution service says no other details surrounding the allegations will be released.

Kempton is scheduled to make his first appearance in provincial court on May 4.