PENTICTON, B.C. — A British Columbia woman who claims she was attacked by a Mountie during a traffic stop was acquitted Wednesday in provincial court of assaulting the same officer.
The trial heard that Fiona Galt Munro, 34, was pulled over after driving away from a pub in Osoyoos, B.C., around 2 a.m. on Sept. 28, 2013.
Const. Ian MacNeil testified Munro was combative and tried to walk away from him, so he grabbed her arms and wrists to put her in handcuffs and during the struggle was punched, kicked and elbowed by her.
Munro testified that she distrusted MacNeil because of past dealings with him and his former partner. She claimed he pulled her by her ankles from her car, then dragged her across the pavement to his cruiser.
She said when she got to her feet the officer slammed her head against the hood of his car three times.
Photos entered as exhibits showed Munro with two black eyes and bruising on her arms, wrists and neck.
Judge Roy Dickey said in his reasons for judgment that the woman's bruising and facial injuries show her story was more consistent with the evidence.
"I do believe that much more occurred here than is acknowledged by the officer," he said.
However, he dismissed Munro's claim she was pulled from her vehicle by her ankles.
"This simply makes no sense. For the officer to do this, he would have had to have placed himself at significant risk with Ms. Munro. I do not believe this occurred."
Dickey noted that both Munro and another officer at the scene testified she had asked that night that video footage from MacNeil's cruiser be preserved as evidence, although there wasn't actually a camera in the car.
The judge said her request demonstrated she "clearly believed this camera would assist her in what occurred that evening."
Munro said she was relieved the ordeal was over.
"I feel that justice has been served," the emotional Munro told reporters outside the Penticton courthouse. "I'm just glad, because I don't want this to happen to anybody else."
MacNeil and his former partner, Const. Amit Goyal, were the subjects of numerous complaints several years ago that alleged they mistreated some members of the public. Munro was among those who complained.
She said she believes her recent court battle "has helped quite a bit" to do away with what was a "cowboy culture" among some police in the South Okanagan.
"I think they're going to be a lot more careful now how they deal with people," said Munro.
Goyal has since been suspended and faces a code of conduct hearing in an unrelated matter, while MacNeil is still on the job in Osoyoos.
