Bow Island RCMP officer charged with sexual assault, breach of trust

By Jamie Rieger
A Bow Island RCMP officer was charged on Monday with one count of Sexual Assault and two counts of Breach of Trust as a result of a complaint dating back to Feb. 16, 2015.
According to the complaint, during a traffic stop on Feb. 12, 2015, Cst. Teed touched the complainant in a sexual manner while conducting a physical search of her. The complainant filed the complaint four days later.
Cst. Teed has been suspended from duty since June, 2015 and will remain off-duty until the criminal charges against him are resolved. At that time, his duty status will be reviewed.
According to a statement released by RCMP Alberta Media Relations, Teed’s suspension is standard RCMP practice and not a disciplinary measure.
Cpl. Sharon Franks told the Commentator that the Crown Prosecutor felt there was sufficient evidence to lay charges.
“The Crown Prosecutor felt there was enough evidence. In addition, there are two separate components here; the criminal side and the Code of Conduct side which is ongoing,” said Franks.
Teed will make his first court appearance at Medicine Hat Provincial Court on May 4, 2016.
An internal RCMP Code of Conduct investigation is also taking place and will resume upon completion of the criminal court process.