National

B.C. police officer charged with sexual assault dies by suicide, reports say

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 19 Dec, 2024 11:32 AM

Several British Columbia media reports say one of two Central Saanich Police officers charged with sexual assaulting a woman they met on duty has died by suicide.

The Times Colonist cites four sources saying 43-year-old Sgt. Matthew Ball has died, while other outlets cite police sources saying Ball died by suicide.

Mounties say in a news release they are investigating the discovery of a body in a forested area of Shawnigan Lake, which is about 40 kilometres northwest of Victoria.

RCMP say they are looking into whether any criminality was involved and the coroner's service is also investigating.

An RCMP spokesman would not identify the person who died, while Central Saanich Police, the BC Coroners Service and BC Emergency Health Services declined to comment.

Vancouver police said on Tuesday that Ball and 40-year-old Const. Ryan Johnston allegedly formed separate "intimate" and "inappropriate" relationships with the same woman in her mid-20s, and it did not appear the two officers acted together.

Deputy Chief Fiona Wilson of the Vancouver Police Department said at a Tuesday news conference that the investigation was launched on Oct. 28 at the request of Central Saanich Police after the woman came forward about the alleged offences.

Wilson called the allegations against Ball and Johnston "shocking and disturbing."

She said the investigation was ongoing and anyone with information was asked to contact police.

Ball, who was hired by Central Saanich Police in 2016 after 12 years of service with Calgary police, had faced one count of sexual assault and one count of breach of trust, for allegations that happened between Feb. 1, 2019, and Oct. 31, 2023.

He was awarded a police exemplary service medal by the Governor General earlier this year.

Johnston has been with Central Saanich Police since 2017 and is accused of one count of sexual assault for an alleged offence that occurred between Feb. 6, 2020, and March 8, 2020.

Wilson had said both officers were to face court on Tuesday for a bail hearing.

If you or someone you know is thinking about suicide, support is available 24-7 by calling or texting 988, Canada's national suicide prevention helpline.

Prev Next

MORE National ARTICLES

Trudeau announces massive drop in immigration targets as Liberals make major pivot

The federal government is slashing immigration targets as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau admits the government did not get the balance right following the COVID-19 pandemic. The government had targeted bringing in 500,000 new permanent residents in both 2025 and 2026.

Trudeau announces massive drop in immigration targets as Liberals make major pivot

Groups say Jewish students, staff at University of B.C. face hostile environment

A coalition of Jewish organizations says it is "deeply alarmed" by a rising tide of antisemitism at the University of British Columbia in recent weeks. A joint statement sent out by six groups, including the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver and Canadian Jewish Advocacy, says Jewish staff, students and faculty members at the university have faced "an increasingly hostile environment" since the start of the academic year.

Groups say Jewish students, staff at University of B.C. face hostile environment

Vancouver begins process of closing homeless encampment at Crab Park

Vancouver's park board says it has begun the process of closing the homeless encampment that has been in place at a local park since 2021. The park board says it is talking directly with each of the seven people still in the camp located in the designated area at Crab Park, with the goal of closing the encampment and returning the area to "general park use" by Nov. 7.

Vancouver begins process of closing homeless encampment at Crab Park

What you need to know as Trudeau fights to retain leadership of the Liberal party

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has resisted calls for his resignation for more than a year now but in recent weeks those calls have grown louder and in some cases more public. The Liberal caucus met Wednesday, where MPs had a three-hour long discussion about their party's current state and whether Trudeau is the best one to keep leading it.

What you need to know as Trudeau fights to retain leadership of the Liberal party

Poll suggests more than half of Canadians unaware of gridlock in House of Commons

A debate has ground work in the House of Commons to a halt for weeks, but a new poll suggests that most Canadians are not even aware it's happening. In a new survey from polling firm Leger, 55 per cent of respondents said they had not heard about the procedural issues that have gridlocked Parliament for more than 12 sitting days.

Poll suggests more than half of Canadians unaware of gridlock in House of Commons

Oil removal work begins on 'fragile' Second World War-era wreck in coastal B.C.

The Canadian Coast Guard said the 77-metre-long Brigadier General M.G. Zalinski has been burping up "slow but consistent drops of oil" since the fall of 2022 at the shipwreck site in Grenville Channel, part of the Inside Passage off northern B.C.