A court date for a Central Saanich police officer accused of sexually assaulting a woman he met while on duty has been postponed until next month.
Const. Ryan Johnston and fellow Central Saanich officer Sgt. Matthew Ball were both charged with sexual assault of the same woman. Investigators believe the officers acted independently. Ball was also charged with breach of trust.
The two were scheduled for a court appearance Jan. 15. But Ball took his own life after the two men were released on bail Dec. 17, after being arrested on their way to work.
The charges had been announced the day of the arrests by the Vancouver Police Department, which spent seven weeks investigating the allegations.
The Vancouver Police Union criticized Vancouver police Deputy Chief Fiona Wilson for her handling of the announcement of the officers’ arrests.
Union president Ralph Kaisers said Wilson’s comments prejudged the case before a trial or conviction and cast “a shadow over the entire law enforcement community.”
The province’s police watchdog, which investigates all officer-related incidents that result in serious harm or death, is investigating Ball’s death to determine what occurred leading up to and during his death.
A new court date for Johnston has been set for Feb. 19.
