Julia Parrish (CTV Edmonton) – Following a complaint from a civilian and the subsequent investigation – RCMP have charged one of their own.
RCMP said Tuesday that Constable Ronald Lavallee had been charged with one count of assault.
Cst. Lavallee, who serves out of the Hobbema RCMP detachment, was charged on July 4.
The charge was laid after his detachment received a public complaint over excessive force being used during an arrest that took place in Hobbema.
Police said the complaint was investigated, and the results were reviewed by the “K” Division Criminal Operations Branch.
A senior Crown Prosecutor at Alberta Justice then recommended the charge.
Lavallee has served as an RCMP officer for six years, and is still stationed at the Hobbema detachment.
The officer has already appeared in court twice on the charge, once on July 4 and July 17 – both of the appearances were adjourned. Lavallee has been scheduled to appear in a Wetaskiwin courtroom on September 13.
RCMP said Lavallee is currently on medical leave.
[Source]
Hobbema RCMP officer charged with assault
Elise Stolte, Edmonton Journal
August 27, 2012
A Hobbema-based RCMP officer has been charged with assault and is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 13.
The charge stems from an incident Dec. 14, 2011, when Const. Ronald Craig Lavallee and several other officers arrested the complainant, Malcolm Cabry, said Hobbema Staff Sgt Robin Alexander.
The officers’ notes indicate Cabry was intoxicated.
Afterward, Cabry alleged Lavallee used excessive force while making the arrest.
Alexander wouldn’t give further details on the case because it is before the courts. He said Cabry was not taken to a hospital.
Lavallee has been with the RCMP for six years and has been stationed in Hobbema since February 2011. “He’s off duty sick right now on a medical leave,” said Alexander.
Such accusations are fairly common, said Alexander, who estimated he has seen 10 or 20 similar allegations against other officers during the two years he has been stationed in Hobbema. “We do tend to arrest a lot of people.”
The accusations are investigated by other RCMP officers, then sent to a special Crown prosecutor. “They decide whether there’s a reasonable likelihood of conviction,” Alexander said.
Alexander said the accusations against Lavallee are the first he has seen progress to formal charges.
Source: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Hobbema+RCMP+officer+charged+with+assault/7152396/story.html