A former nursing student at UBCO Okanagan who was the victim of an assault by an RCMP member says she is "disappointed" with the officer's sentence.
Const. Lacy Browning received a two-year conditional discharge on Monday, following a guilty plea last year to one count of assaulting Mona Wang in her apartment building on Jan. 20, 2020.
The RCMP member must complete 160 hours of community service and follow some basic conditions, after which point she will not have a criminal record. She may not even lose her job as an RCMP officer.
Wang, a second-year nursing student at UBC Okanagan at the time, was going through a mental health crisis in the afternoon in question. Her boyfriend, who was out of town, called 911 and asked for assistance, as he was worried she would harm herself.
"After waiting three years since the assault, it’s very disappointing to find out that Browning essentially received a slap on the wrist for all the trauma she had caused me," Wang told Castanet on Tuesday.
Wang says she is worried Browning could harm someone again. She noted that after she came forward, others stepped forward with additional lawsuits and allegations against Browning.
"With a history of assaulting vulnerable civilians, there is no guarantee that she will refrain from harming more after her conditional sentence is over," Wang said.
In court on Monday, the court heard that in 2018 prior to the incident Browning's mental health was deteriorating and she had "difficulty feeling empathy, particularly in her role as a police officer.”
"My heart goes out to Browning after hearing about her compassion fatigue and the trauma she detailed in her Gladue report, but that is no excuse to engage in unsafe practices and violence against others. As a nurse working in psychiatry, I recognize how vicious compassion fatigue is, but it is our duty as professionals to continuously reflect on our fitness to work to protect those whom we aim to help," Wang said.
Castanet published video of the assault in June of 2020, and it quickly drew widespread criticism and national attention.
"That being said, I’m lucky that my case garnered attention in the first place considering how common it is for the RCMP to dismiss complaints and sweep them under the rug. The internal RCMP investigation is still ongoing, and I truly hope they will do what’s right to remove this dangerous individual from the force," Wang added.
BC RCMP spokesperson Staff Sgt. Kris Clark said Monday Browning is on administrative duties and her “status is subject to continual review and assessment.”
