Michael Staples, Federicton, N.B. (Fredericton Gleaner) – The trial of a New Brunswick police officer charged with assaulting a soldier resumed Monday in Fredericton after a three-month adjournment.
Const. Stephen Stafford of the Fredericton Police is charged with the July 18, 2009, assault of Luc Begin, 28, an infantry soldier with Quebec’s Royal 22nd Regiment from Canadian Forces Base Valcartier.
The incident is alleged to have occurred outside a bar in downtown Fredericton.
Begin, who was off-duty at the time, was on a three-month posting at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown and teaching at the infantry school when the alleged attack occurred.
The incident was captured on video by Fredericton blogger Charles LeBlanc, who posted it on YouTube. It shows a police officer kneeing a man in the back while the suspect is on the ground and being placed under arrest.
At the time of adjournment in November, Crown prosecutor Gabriel Bourgeois had yet to complete his case against Stafford and indicated he had at least two more witnesses to call.
Defence counsel T.J. Burke has yet to present his case.
During earlier testimony, Begin said he was apprehended by police for no apparent reason, thrown to the pavement and kneed in the back, resulting in cuts, bruises and two fractured vertebrae.
Begin faces two charges of obstruction of justice related to the same incident.
His trial will be held later this year.
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