One of two BC police officers who were charged with sexual assault following a Vancouver Police Department investigation appears to have died by suicide.
The Independent Investigations Office of BC, which investigates all deaths and serious injuries involving police, put out a news release Thursday saying the off-duty officer was found dead near Shawinigan Lake on December 18. The death appeared to be self-inflicted.
The officer’s body was found the day after VPD announced two members of the Central Saanich Police Service were facing sexual assault charges.
The VPD’s criminal investigation began in October when someone came forward saying the Vancouver Island officers had “unlawful sexual contact” with women they met while on duty.
Matthew Ball, 43, was charged with one count of sexual assault and one count of breach of trust. The alleged offences occurred between 2019 and 2023 in Saanich. A second officer, 40-year-old Ryan Johnston, was charged with one count of sexual assault for alleged offences in 2020.
The IIO did not say which of the two officers was found dead near Shawinigan Lake.
#VPDNews: #VPD Deputy Chief Fiona Wilson spoke at today’s press conference about the investigation that has led to the arrest of two officers from the Central Saanich Police Service. https://t.co/cNqsn8KDTa pic.twitter.com/kZ0BImKnyQ
— Vancouver Police (@VancouverPD) December 18, 2024
The VPD’s Deputy Chief Fiona Wilson characterized the officers’ alleged actions as “corrosive” to public trust in police.
“Although the woman was an adult when alleged offences occurred, she was in a vulnerable position when she met the officers, and when the unlawful conduct occurred,” Wilson said.
Wilson said VPD made the investigation public this week after seven weeks of work. They didn’t alert the public at the time to secure and preserve key pieces of evidence.
“To maintain trust in the criminal justice system, we must always be prepared to fully investigate allegations of misconduct and wrongdoing within our own ranks, and to recommend criminal charges when compelling evidence exists.”