Obstruction charge stayed for Prince George RCMP officer

The Crown has stayed a criminal chargeagainst an RCMP officer in Prince George, B.C., just threedays before his obstruction of justice trial was set to begin.

Const. Clarence (Alex) Alexander MacDonald was one of fiveRCMP officers charged in relation tothe death of a Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'enman in Prince George onJuly 18, 2017.

Dale Culver, 35, who was afather of three, died in police custodyafter an arrest and struggle with officers.

The stay of proceedings against MacDonald means that of the fiveRCMP officers originally charged,only twoMounties will go to trial.

Last month, prosecutors stayed manslaughter charges against two other RCMP officers,Const. Paul Ste-Marie and Const. Jean Francois Monette, at the start of their trial.

Under B.C. law, astay of proceedings puts a prosecution on pause and, if it is not resumed within a year, it is treated as if it never started.

Prosecutors said the manslaughter charges were stayed because of a forensic pathologist's error in determining the cause of Culver's death.

The stay in MacDonald'sobstruction of justice case was confirmed by a B.C. Prosecution Service (BCPS) spokesperson in an email to CBC News on Monday.

The spokesperson said the BCPSwouldn't comment on the reasons for the decision until the conclusion of trial proceedings against two other officers also charged with obstruction of justice in the Culver case.

Const. Arthur Dalman, and Sgt. Bayani(Jon)Eusebio Cruz have pleaded not guilty.

A judge is hearing pre-trial applications in the casethis week in B.C. Provincial Court in Prince George.