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RCMP officer charged after hitting cyclist
October 28, 2022 By Jesse Boily, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Oct. 27, 2022, Grande Prairie, Alta. – Grande Prairie RCMP officer Damien Lessard-Jomphe has been charged with dangerous operation of a conveyance causing bodily harm.
The decision comes from the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) after an investigation into an incident on April 24, 2021, where a marked RCMP vehicle collided with a 28-year-old cyclist in the area of 107 Ave. and 98 St.
On April 24, 2021, at about 3:10 a.m. “Grande Prairie RCMP received information about two suspicious males in a residential area,” said ASIRT in a news release last year.
Police responded to the incident in the area of 100 St. and 110 Ave. One of the bicycles was towing a metal dolly with a safe on it, and the cyclist was detained immediately. The safe was then later determined to be stolen.
The second man had fled immediately, says ASIRT.
“The man on the bicycle left the road and travelled diagonally across the lawn of a residential property, with the police vehicle closing the distance behind him,” said ASIRT.
“At approximately 3:22 a.m., the police vehicle collided with the man on the bicycle in the side yard of the residence.”
First aid was given to the 28-year-old man who suffered serious injuries; when EMS arrived, he was brought to the hospital.
Lessard-Jomphe has been released on an appearance notice and is scheduled to appear in Grande Prairie Provincial Court on Nov. 30.
The RCMP said independent of ASIRT’s investigation, an “internal review process will also be implemented to fully examine the incident.”
RCMP said in a release on Oct. 20 that Lessard-Jomphe will remain on active duty until the conclusion of court proceedings.
Lessard-Jomphe has been on the RCMP force for five years.
– Town & Country News
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