12,000 Jackpot
$
SUPER BINGO
SATURDAY, SEPT 30TH Saturday Evening Bingo at 6pm
($7,500 cash plus $4,500 Slot Free Play)
0
58307
00200
5
ON THE TRADITIONAL TERRITORY OF THE LHEIDLI T’ENNEH
Since 1916
THURSDAY, August 31, 2023
PGCITIZEN.CA
PRINCEGEORGECITIZEN
PROUD HOCKEY DAD LEAVES PRINCE GEORGE LEGACY Marco Myatovic remembered for friendly spirit, devotion to family
PAGE 6
RCMP dog handler found not guilty MARK NIELSEN
Special to the Citizen
FACEBOOK PHOTO
EXPLOSION VICTIM RECOVERING Victoria Mcgivern (above with her three children), the Prince George woman seriously injured in last week’s downtown explosion and fire, was transferred out of the intensive care unit and into the burn unit at Vancouver General Hospital on Sunday, according to a friend’s Facebook post. As of Monday (Aug. 28) morning, the gofundme page set up to help Victoria, her partner Ryan and their three young children had raised more than $85,000.
An RCMP dog handler was found not guilty last week of all charges related to a takedown in Prince George caught on a nearby security camera 7 1/2 years ago and for which he was accused of using excessive force. Cst. Joshua Grafton had been facing one count each of assault, assault with a weapon and obstruction of justice from a Feb. 18, 2016, arrest of two men caught driving a stolen pickup truck. In issuing his verdict, Provincial Court Judge Peter McDermick found Grafton was involved in a high-risk apprehension when he used his dog to pull one of the men, Cuyler Aubichon, out of the driver’s side of a stolen pickup truck and take him to the ground. Over the course of a 52-second encounter, Grafton struck Aubichon seven times. Of particular concern, the final two were to the suspect’s head as he laid face down on the icy surface of an alleyway in the VLA where police had boxed in the vehicle. However, McDermick found the escalation of force was necessary, proportionate and reasonable given Aubichon’s
failure to show both his hands to police. Almost as soon as the dog was able to grab hold of the arm, it let go at Grafton’s command so he could be handcuffed, the judge noted. Injuries to Aubichon, including those from the dog gripping his arm, turned out to be superficial, although McDermick stressed that played only a minor role in his determination. “It was critical to everyone’s safety to take control and resolve the situation,” McDermick said. “Police actions should not be judged against a standard of perfection and police should not be expected to measure the force used with exactitude.” The obstruction count centred on discrepancies between Grafton’s post-arrest report, created some 3 1/2 hours after the event and in advance of a bail hearing, and what was shown on the video. In particular, Grafton failed to mention the number of times he struck Aubichon and that the suspect refused to pull his right hand from beneath his body. Drugs were later found stuffed down Aubichon’s pants, the court has heard.
See OFFICERS on page 3