RCMP officer charged in connection with man’s death

Charges of aggravated assault and assault with a weapon have been laid against an RCMP officer Const. Elizabeth Cucheran after the fatal shooting in 2015 of a young man in Surrey, B.C.

Hudson Brooks, 20, was shot outside the RCMP’s Surrey headquarters in the early hours of July 18, 2015, after police responded to reports of a man screaming, the Mounties have said.

At the time, the RCMP said that officers rushed outside and spotted the man, a struggle ensued and he was shot. The Independent Investigations Office, which investigates serious injuries or death involving police in British Columbia, said the shooting occurred as officers responded to reports of a possibly suicidal man. It sent a report to Crown counsel 14 months ago.

The prosecution service said that the investigation and charge assessment process took longer than expected, partly because of the complexities of the evidence and requirement for further investigation and analysis.