Punched in face as a 17 year-old by police, woman alleges misfeasance in public office on part of officers
VANCOUVER – Today in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, Jamie Haller served a lawsuit against three members of the Williams Lake RCMP detachment, and the City of Williams Lake, following her 2011 beating at the hands of police when she was 17 years old. Ms. Haller, a First Nations woman, alleges that she was running from a gang and calling for assistance when she was arrested, placed in the back of a police car, and was then punched in the face by a member of the RCMP after protesting against her unwarranted arrest. She was released the next morning without charge, and without having received any medical attention.
Ms. Haller’s injuries included severe bruising, haemorrhage of the eye, blurred vision, and psychological distress. She alleges that she was unable to work at her job at a fast food outlet given the appearance of the bruising on her face, and had to take a week off of school due to injuries to her eye that affected her vision.
“Jamie Haller, for years now, has shown incredible courage in trying to hold the RCMP to account for the horrible way she was treated, and for her assault. So far the system has failed her – so she has no choice but to resort to a lawsuit in order to seek justice,” said Josh Paterson, Executive Director of the BC Civil Liberties Association, which called for an independent investigation of the incident and filed a complaint against the force under the Police Act. “Our experience tells us that First Nations people in this province are overpoliced and under-protected by law enforcement. Jamie Haller’s arrest, and her treatment by police, are just another terrible example of that.”
Constable. Andy Yung was acquitted of criminal charges connected with his punching Ms. Haller. However, civil liability for his behaviour can still be determined by the courts, and will be one of the issues in this lawsuit.
Jamie Haller’s mother, Martina Jeff, said “My daughter was handcuffed with her hands behind her back in the cruiser when I saw the officer start to punch her. She had blood running on her face. She was walking home and got scared by some people, and asked for help from police. Instead of getting help, she got beaten up. Our family wants justice for what happened to her. It’s long overdue.”
The lawsuit also alleges that the officers involved misconducted themselves in relation to the criminal investigation of the incident.
The City of Williams Lake is named in the lawsuit because, through its agreement with the RCMP, it is responsible for torts (civil wrongs) committed by RCMP-employed municipal police officers in the city. The BCCLA is not represented in the lawsuit.
