British Columbia

VPD officer charged with dangerous driving causing bodily harm

A Vancouver Police officer is facing a single charge of dangerous driving causing bodily harm after he collided with a cyclist last year while driving a VPD vehicle.

The officer was driving a police vehicle when he collided with a cyclist in May of 2018

The side of a Vancouver Police van, with flashing emergency lights.
A Vancouver police officer has been charged with dangerous driving causing bodily harm after his police cruiser collided with a cyclist May 18. (Gian-Paolo Mendoza/CBC)

A Vancouver Police officer is facing a single charge of dangerous driving causing bodily harm after he collided with a cyclist last year while driving a VPD vehicle.

The B.C. Prosecution Service announced the charge against Const. Luke Bokenfohr less than a week after the Independent Investigations Office submitted a report on the incident to Crown counsel.

The charge relates to a May 18, 2018 accident in which a VPD cruiser hit a female cyclist at the intersection of West 46th Avenue and Oak Street. 

According to the IIO, the cyclist was taken to hospital with what was originally believed to be minor injuries. 

The IIO says it was notified the injuries constituted serious harm nearly a year later when the Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner of B.C became aware they were more serious that first thought.

Bokenfohr is scheduled to appear in Vancouver provincial court on June 4.

Corrections

  • An earlier version of this story said the IIO was notified the cyclist's injuries constituted serious harm two weeks after the accident. In fact, it was nearly a year before the OPCC became aware and told the IIO the injuries were that serious.
    May 21, 2019 6:04 PM PT