Two-and-a-half years after her son Hudson in South Surrey, Jennifer Brooks has learned that one officer has been charged.
Itѻýs ѻýa huge accomplishment,ѻý Brooks told Peace Arch News Tuesday morning, following a meeting with Crown Counsel. ѻýI wanted charges.ѻý
BC Prosecution Service confirmed Surrey RCMP Const. Elizabeth Cucheran has been charged with one count of aggravated assault and one count of assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the July 18, 2015 incident.
The charges were sworn Tuesday morning; Cucheranѻýs first court appearance is set for Jan. 9 in Surrey Provincial Court.
Brooks that a decision on charges had been made, and told PAN she was ѻýprayingѻý it would be the outcome she and others have been calling for.
Outside the Crown office Tuesday, Brooks expressed her gratitude to the community and media.
ѻýIѻým so grateful ѻý Iѻým grateful to you all. We could not have done this without each and every one of you.ѻý
She also thanked Hudson for being ѻýsuch a wonderful sonѻý He didnѻýt deserve this.ѻý
Hudson Brooks was 20 when he died on July 18, 2015, after what police initially described as a physical struggle outside of the South Surrey RCMP detachment, in the 1800-block of 152 Street. The altercation also resulted in an officer being transported to hospital with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.
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nly police-issued firearms were found at the scene.
Over time, Jennifer Brooks learned that her son had been shirtless and unarmed at the time, and that he was shot at close range.
In October of last year, the Independent Investigations Office announced that a report would be filed to Crown counsel ѻýfor consideration of chargesѻý against one or more officers in connection with Brooksѻý death.
On the one-year anniversary of , his mother told PAN the wait has been ѻýsuch agony.ѻý
The news release issued by BC Prosecution Service Tuesday morning said charges were approved following a complete review of evidence by senior Crown counsel.
ѻýThe investigation and charge assessment process were protracted due, in part, to the complexities of the evidentiary issues in the case and the requirement for further investigation and analysis,ѻý the release states.
Jennifer Brooks said she now understands why the process took so long.
ѻýCrown counsel took this very, very seriously,ѻý Brooks commented. ѻýIt took a long, long time. There was a lot of evidence and they had to decipher through everything.ѻý
Brother Beaudry Brooks, 24, said he was ѻýrelievedѻý to hear charges were laid in his siblingѻýs death, but that he believes the officer ѻýprobably should have been charged higher.ѻý
Jennifer Brooks said sheѻýs just happy to have charges, and that she hopes it will ѻýmake a difference in how police handle situations.ѻý
She does not, however, want to know what the accused looks like, and has said she will not share the officerѻýs name on social media, even though it is already public.
ѻýThey have a family, too,ѻý she said. ѻýIѻým not on a witch hunt. I donѻýt think this woman walked out and said, ѻýIѻým going to shoot and kill a boy today.ѻý Itѻýs such a tragedy. Thereѻýs a no-win situation here, for our family and hers.ѻý
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