The BC Prosecution Service (BCPS) has not decided whether to charge a Prince George RCMP officer who shot a man in the head almost five years ago during a confrontation outside the North Star Inn.
Last July, the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) said it had reasonable grounds to believe an officer broke the law on May 31, 2021.
An officer observed Thomas Arthur Prince, 39, driving a Pontiac Sunfire erratically around 6:45 a.m. After Prince emerged from the vehicle, the officer attempted to arrest and handcuff him, but Prince resisted, threw a punch at the officer and tried to leave. The officer responded with gunfire. One of the shots struck Prince in the skull and he required emergency hospital treatment. The officer was uninjured in the altercation, which happened in less than four minutes.
On Feb. 13, Prince pleaded guilty to assault and Provincial Court Judge Martin Nadon sentenced him to two months of 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew.
BCPS communications counsel Damienne Darby said prosecutors received the IIO report on July 30, 2025, but subsequently returned it for additional information in order to “make a properly informed” decision.
Darby declined to say why or when.
“Such requests are privileged, and communication with the investigative agency may take place over a period of time, rather than an isolated moment in time,” Darby said. “As such, the BC Prosecution Service does not release information about the content or timing of these “return” requests.
IIO spokesperson Rachel Graham said the civilian-led agency is taking “further investigative steps and the incident remains under investigation.
“There are times when the BCPS requires additional information and the file may be returned to the IIO,” Graham said. “These requests are privileged, and communication with BCPS may take place over time.”
During the Feb. 13 sentencing, Nadon said that,“in many ways, Mr. Prince has paid the price for this offence.”
Nadon said he continues to suffer neurological problems, is on daily medication and awaiting another surgery to rebuild a portion of his skull.
