The Kelowna, B.C., police officer at the center of a lawsuit is now on desk duty, RCMP said Tuesday.
Police also announced that an internal code of conduct and criminal investigation is underway following a lawsuit that alleges Const. Lacy Browning mistreated a university nursing student during a wellness check in January.
“We understand that a series of videos related to the ongoing civil matter were recently disclosed to all parties as per a court order,” police said on Tuesday.
“The RCMP respects the judicial process and we will file our official response as per the civil proceedings.”
Mona Wang alleges in her civil claim that Browning handcuffed her and dragged her down a hallway, after finding her lying semiconscious on the bathroom floor, next to empty pill bottles.
Surveillance video shows Wang is only wearing pants and a sports bra while being dragged into her building’s lobby.
Later, as she tries to lift her head, Browning appears to put her foot down, forcing Wang’s head back to the floor, then a minute later, pulling Wang’s hair to lift her head up.
Wang is seeking punitive and exemplary damages against the defendants, calling the actions of Browning and the RCMP reckless, arrogant, and abusive.
In its response to the claim, the RCMP claims it had been told that Wang had a history of suicide attempts.
In court documents, the officer had alleged that Wang was behaving erratically and acting in a manner that was likely to endanger her safety, so she arrested her under the Mental Health Act.
“In light of the plaintiff’s volatile demeanour, aggressive actions and repeated refusals to follow commands … the limited use of force by the defendant Browning was no more than was reasonable and necessary in the circumstances,” the response claims.
None of the allegations has been proven in court.
RCMP said the criminal investigation into Browning will be independently handled by an outside police department.
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