Criminal charges were dropped Monday against a Calgary police officer after the man he allegedly assaulted finished testifying.
Edmonton Crown prosecutor Jarrod Hone applied to provincial court Judge Gord Wong to withdraw the three charges against Const. Douglas Sherwood at the conclusion of evidence by Steve Perron at the officer’s preliminary inquiry.
Sherwood, a 13-year veteran of the Calgary Police Service, had been facing charges of assault with a weapon, his truck, assault causing bodily harm and uttering threats in connection with incidents near his home in January 2015.
Sherwood was charged last year.
Hone did not give Wong any reasons for asking that the charges be withdrawn.
Outside court he declined to comment on why he chose to discontinue the prosecution.
Defence counsel Don MacLeod declined to speculate on Hone’s reasons, other than to say prosecutions are usually ended where there is no longer a reasonable likelihood of a conviction, or it’s not in the public interest.
Outside court, MacLeod said Sherwood was glad his ordeal was over.
“This has been a stressful experience,” MacLeod said.
“Of course he’s greatly relieved.”
Sherwood was charged more than two years after the alleged assault took place.
Last April, Calgary police announced Sherwood had been charged.
Police said the allegation was that Sherwood was off-duty in his home when he noticed a man in construction clothing and carrying a hard hat walking up and down the road.
They said the officer went to his vehicle and saw the man walking between his house and a neighbour’s home.
Police said the officer got into his truck and followed him down the street, asking why he was in the backyard.
It was alleged Sherwood did not identify himself as an off-duty Calgary police member.
The man avoided speaking with the officer, who continued to follow him.
Police said the man then kicked the truck and the officer used his vehicle to lightly strike the man from behind.
At that point, police say a physical altercation took place where both men were injured.
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