Kelowna, B.C. cop in disturbing wellness-check video intends to plead not guilty

A Kelowna, B.C., cop involved in a disturbing 2020 wellness check intends to plead not guilty during her upcoming assault trial.

Const. Lacy Browning appeared in court this week via her lawyer who “indicated that there would be a not guilty plea entered in the future,” according to the B.C. Prosecution Service.

Browning’s trial date was expected to be set later today.

The charge against Browning was sworn Aug. 23, 2021, more than a year after the incident at its core gained national attention.

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Surveillance video from January 2020 showed a handcuffed woman, later identified as Mona Wang, being dragged, face down, on a carpeted hallway by a Kelowna RCMP officer before having her head stepped on.

Browning is the RCMP officer in the video.

Before the criminal charge was laid, a civil lawsuit was filed against Browning, Canada’s attorney general and B.C.’s minister of public safety and solicitor general. It was settled in June.

Browning was placed on administrative leave shortly after the video went viral.