Kelowna Mountie being sued by Mona Wang faces second claim alleging assault
Posted July 16, 2020 5:33 pm.
Last Updated July 16, 2020 5:37 pm.
KELOWNA (NEWS 1130) — A second woman is accusing a Mountie in Kelowna of excessive force, similar to an incident caught on video earlier this year involving a UBCO nursing student.
RELATED: ‘Reckless’ Kelowna RCMP officer seen dragging, stepping on head of nursing student during wellness check
Fiona Read has filed a lawsuit claiming Const. Lacey Browning allegedly grabbed her by the hair, then slammed her face to the ground several times in the early morning hours of New Year’s Day four years ago
Documents filed in B.C. Supreme Court Wednesday suggest Browning hurt Read shortly after she left a New Year’s Eve party in 2016.
Read says she initially approached the officer to seek help.
RELATED: Wellness check system needs overhaul, no police: advocacy group
Read says she’s never recovered from an injury she suffered to her knee because of what she calls Browning’s “reckless” behaviour.
In response, the RCMP say this matter was not previously reported to them and these allegations are being reviewed to determine if any further action that needs to be taken.
The actions Read describes is similar to video images of Browning involving a nursing student from UBCO, Mona Wang. The student claims she was abused following a wellness check in January of this year and has filed a lawsuit against Browning.
After surveillance video of Browning and the student went viral, the commanding officer for the Southeast district of the RCMP apologized to the Wang.
In her defense, Browning alleges Wang had a box cutter and had harmed herself, appeared intoxicated and became violent, striking the officer “several times” with an open hand.
While Browning has been placed on desk duty, an online petition in support of Wang calls for the officer to be charged and fired. So far, more than it has garnered more than 375,000 signatures.
Last weekend, rallies were held across the province calling for an end to police brutality in response to the footage.
The “Justice For Mona” protests took place in Kelowna, Surrey, Richmond, and Vancouver. A rally was also held previously in Calgary.
