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Man to be sentenced Feb. 3 for killing police officer in Abbotsford, B.C.

NEW WESTMINSTER, B.C. — A lawyer for a man found guilty of murdering a police officer in Abbotsford, B.C., says his client will not pursue a hearing to determine his mental state at the time of the shooting.

In an interview, Martin Peters says a court-ordered assessment found that Oscar Arfmann is schizophrenic.

A trial in B.C. Supreme Court heard that Arfmann ambushed Const. John Davidson in November 2017 as the 53-year-old police officer got out of his vehicle.

Peters says the assessment report said it was open to the court to find Arfmann not criminally responsible because of a mental disorder.

Instead, Peters says his client directed him to tell the judge at a hearing on Monday that he wanted to be sentenced for first-degree murder, which carries a sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years.

He says Justice Carol Ross has set sentencing for Feb. 3.

A message from Abbotsford Chief Constable Serr on the service’s social media reads, “The Abbotsford Police Department is pleased with today’s decision that the person who killed Const. John Davidson will receive a life sentence and Const. Davidson’s family and witnesses will not have to go through a NCRD. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this outcome and all the amazing support we have received.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 13, 2020.