Nanaimo RCMP Cst. Josh Grafton now faces three charges stemming from a 2016 arrest up in Prince George. (file photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

excessive force

Nanaimo RCMP K9 officer charged for 2016 Prince George incident

Jun 10, 2020 | 12:39 PM

NANAIMO — A local Mountie faces three criminal charges stemming for an arrest in Prince George four years ago.

Cst. Josh Grafton, a K9 handler with the Nanaimo RCMP, is now charged with assault, assault with a weapon and obstructing justice after a Feb. 18, 2016 arrest.

Charges were approved by the B.C. Prosecution Service on June 8, 2020 after a lengthy investigation by the Independent Investigations Office (IIO).

Surveillance video released at the time showed an officer, believed to be Cst. Grafton and his K9 unit, approaching an allegedly stolen truck and using his dog to pull the suspected thief from the truck.

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In the video, the officer repeatedly punches the suspect once they’re on the ground in a firm grip by the dog.

The two other officers involved in the arrest were also charged with assault causing bodily harm.

Grafton was previously investigated for a Feb. 16, 2019 incident in the rural mountains south of Nanaimo as he tracked suspect David Banford through the snow for hours.

Banford was injured after allegedly running and trying to evade Grafton and his K9, suffering a fractured eye socket and nose from two strikes with a closed fist to his face.

The investigation found Grafton’s use of force was “at the upper end of the justifiable range.” He was cleared of any wrongdoing in the incident.

Grafton is slated to appear at provincial court in Prince George on Aug. 12.

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