Edmonton police officer faces five criminal charges

August 2, 2007
Trish Audette, CanWest News Service

An Edmonton police officer who Tasered a drunken teen six times in one minute -- but was never disciplined for the act -- now faces five new criminal charges. Const. Mike Wasylyshen, son of former Edmonton police chief Bob Wasylyshen, has been charged with assaulting and threatening to cause death or bodily harm to a 24-year-old Edmonton man, assaulting two more men and threatening to cause death or bodily harm to the family of a fourth man, age 21. All of the charges stem from an incident on Edmonton's Whyte Avenue, a popular bar and nightclub strip, on Dec. 18, 2005.

The 31-year-old officer, who has been with the Edmonton service for eight years, faces the following charges:

- one count of assaulting a 24-year-old Edmonton man;
- one count of threatening to cause death or bodily harm to the same man;
- one count of assaulting a second 24-year-old Edmonton man;
- one count of assaulting a third man;
- one count of threatening to cause death or bodily harm to the family of a 21-year-old Edmonton man.

Edmonton police laid the charges last month, but did not release further details -- except to say they began investigating after another officer came forward with information.

It's not the first time Wasylyshen has been accused of using unnecessary force. In October, 2002, Randy Fryingpan was 16 years old and passed out drunk in the back of a parked car at an Edmonton townhouse project. Wasylyshen roused the teen from his drunken slumber by shocking him six times in 66 seconds, knocked out his front tooth and left him with burn marks and bruises. Another officer later strip-searched the young man. Although a provincial court judge called the arrest "cruel and unusual punishment,"and Wasylyshen's Taser use "absolutely unnecessary," police refused to conduct an outside investigation.

Then-acting police chief Darryl da Costa said even an internal disciplinary hearing was unnecessary, and cleared Wasylyshen of allegations he had breached the Police Act -- including discreditable conduct, insubordination and unnecessary exercise of authority.

In the end, Wasylyshen faced neither criminal nor internal discipline for the incident. He remains on duty as a patrol officer and is scheduled to appear in court to face the new charges September 7th.

His father is former chief Bob Wasylyshen.