BC RCMP officer receives discipline hearing

March 25, 2009
100Mile Free Press

100 Mile RCMP detachment Const. Dan Cameron has been reprimanded, forced to forfeit four days pay and referred for professional counselling.

Cpl. Annie Linteau said Cameron had a discipline hearing where the finding of assault with a weapon was established.

Cameron had been charged with the offence after using a Taser on Kevin Campbell at Jake's Pub in 100 Mile House in December 2006.

In an August 2008 judgment, provincial court Judge Lynne Dollis found that Cameron had used his Taser correctly but had insufficient reason to arrest Campbell in the first place and he received a conditional discharge.

Board members at the RCMP discipline hearing in March 2009 expressed concern that Campbell was handcuffed when Cameron Tasered him and that Cameron is an instructor in the use of the weapon.

RCMP taser trainer guilty of assault with stun gun

August 13, 2008
Susan Lazaruk, The Province

An RCMP officer who trains other officers in the use of Tasers has been found guilty of assault in 100 Mile House while using a stun gun.

Const. Dan Cameron was found guilty in provincial court after a four-day trial. He remains on active duty awaiting sentencing and also faces possible internal discipline.

Cameron responded to a disturbance outside Jake's Bar early on Dec. 17, 2006, and ordered Kevin Campbell, a shirtless, drunken patron who had been swearing at another officer, to get out of a vehicle or he would be hit with 50,000 volts of electricity, according to court documents.

Cameron said he had been told there was a fight outside the bar and thought Campbell was involved in it and so had reasonable grounds to arrest him. Campbell was combative and resisted arrest, according to testimony, so Cameron used the Taser against him.

Judge Lynne Dollis ruled that Cameron didn't have reasonable and probable grounds to arrest Campbell for causing a disturbance for fighting and therefore "was not acting in the execution of his duty when he applied the Taser to Mr. Campbell and is guilty of assaulting Mr. Campbell with a weapon, a Taser."

RCMP spokesman Sgt. Tim Shields said the force will have a "code of conduct investigation" to determine if any discipline is necessary against Cameron, which could range from verbal reprimand to dismissal.

He said the incident would not affect RCMP Taser policy because the issue in this case was improper arrest and not improper use of the stun gun.

B.C. RCMP officer found guilty of assault in 2006 taser incident

Const. Dan Cameron leaves court on August 11 (photo by Kendall Waters)



Am I READING this right?!?! "A provincial court judge ruled that while use of the taser WAS NOT EXCESSIVE, police DID NOT HAVE GROUNDS TO ARREST THE MAN in the first place, so Cameron's use of the stun gun WAS NOT WARRANTED."

Police had NO GROUNDS TO ARREST the man but USED A TASER when it was NOT WARRANTED. That's one of the DEFINITIONS of excessive force! This judge ought to find somewhere else to remember the good old days.

As for MR. Cameron remaining on active duty ... Mr. Kennedy? Mr. Elliott? Mr. Day? Would somebody PLEASE get this officer off our streets?!

August 11, 2008
The Canadian Press

100 MILE HOUSE, B.C. — A B.C. Mountie has been convicted of assault with a Taser stemming from a police call to a pub in 100 Mile House.

Const. Dan Cameron will be sentenced at a later date for the December 2006 incident. Cameron and two other officers were called to a pub on Highway 97, and arrested the man who was hit with the stun gun.

A provincial court judge ruled that while use of the Taser was not excessive, police did not have grounds to arrest the man in the first place, so Cameron's use of the stun gun was not warranted.

Cameron's sentencing hearing will be scheduled for sometime next month. An RCMP spokesperson says Cameron remains on active duty at the 100 Mile House detachment until after sentencing and the outcome of a formal internal disciplinary hearing.


Oh look - here's another heartwarming story about RCMP use of this life-saving technology.