The president of the Vancouver Police Union is criticizing the handling of a sexual-assault case that’s being linked to the suicide of a Central Saanich police officer.
In a letter, Ralph Kaisers told members that the “tragic loss” of Central Saanich Police Sgt. Matthew Ball came after public statements that risked the “presumption of innocence” of the accused. Kaisers was referring to a Vancouver Police Department news release and comments made by Vancouver Police Deputy Chief Fiona Wilson on Tuesday after the arrest of two Central Saanich officers, Ball and Const. Ryan Johnston. They were accused of sexually assaulting the same woman in separate incidents.
Ball was released from custody on Tuesday, and his body was found in a forested area near Shawnigan Lake on Wednesday.
The Independent Investigations Office of sa国际传媒, a police watchdog agency that looks into all officer-related incidents involving serious harm or death, is investigating the death, which it said appeared to be self-inflicted.
The police watchdog, which says it was notified by the Vancouver Police Department on Wednesday that the body had been discovered, said it will seek to confirm the details of what occurred leading up to and during the officer’s death.
The IIO is asking anyone with relevant information to contact its toll-free witness line at 1-855-446-8477 or via the contact form on the website.
Ball, 43, a sergeant, was facing one count of sexual assault and one count of breach of trust for offences alleged to have occurred between Feb. 1, 2019 and Oct. 31, 2023, in Central Saanich.
He joined the Central Saanich police force as a constable in 2016 after working as a constable in Calgary for about 12 years, and was promoted to the rank of sergeant this year.
In his letter, Kaisers said the comments from the Vancouver Police Department cast “a shadow over the entire law enforcement community” as they prejudged the case before any trial or conviction.
Ball’s death underlines the need for police agencies to practise what they preach when it comes to trauma-informed approaches, he said.
“We must ensure that fairness, compassion and mental health are prioritized for everyone involved without compromising accountability,” Kaisers said.
Kash Heed, sa国际传媒’s former public safety minister and the former police chief for West Vancouver, said Kaisers “is expressing the feelings of many people in the police profession.”
Heed said it was a “very traumatic situation” for the alleged victim and the officers accused in the case, and nobody is downplaying the seriousness of the offences involved.
“Mistakes were made with respect to the health and welfare of police officers that pretty well had their career ended almost immediately as a result of the allegations against them and what took place after,” he said.
“It appears there weren’t substantial guardrails put in place with the health and well-being of these officers.”
Heed said he hopes an inquest into the officer’s death will examine all agencies involved, including the Central Saanich department where the deceased officer worked, the Vancouver Police Department that investigated, the provincial Public Safety Ministry and the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner.
“Did they come together in making sure of the health and welfare of these officers? Because it’s not only officers that are related to criminal offences or alleged criminal offences that have taken their own lives, [but] other officers that are just under stress,” he said.
Jane, who asked to be referred to only by her middle name, contacted the sa国际传媒 to say she was shocked to learn of the death of Ball, who was her intake officer when she came forward to police in June of this year about a sexual assault that happened to her when she was 13.
Now 31 and living in Shawnigan Lake, Jane said she had first approached Central Saanich police about her case in 2013, when she met with an officer who was professional but “cold.”
Ball was different, she said — over the course of several calls that each lasted 30 to 45 minutes, he took her seriously, used trauma-informed language and offered support should she ever need it, Jane said.
Jane said the woman who came forward with accusations of sexual assault against Ball has had the opportunity for justice taken away from her and is likely facing additional trauma from the death.
Jane said she would have had difficulty reopening her own sexual-assault case had she known that two Central Saanich police officers were under covert investigation over accusations of sexual assault.
“I’ve actually contemplated closing my case since last night,” she said.
Saanich police spokesperson Jason Hallman said his department’s patrol officers are managing Central Saanich police calls at the request of Chief Const. Ian Lawson so Central Saanich officers can “process the recent events.”
The move will ensure police coverage is maintained while supports are provided to Central Saanich police officers, he said in a statement.
— With files from The Canadian Press
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health and needs support, call 988 or 1800SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) to be connected to the Crisis Line Association of sa国际传媒
