Police officer charged in crash that seriously injured cyclist

An RCMP officer has been charged after a police vehicle hit a man on a bicycle.

Around 3:10 a.m. on April 24, 2021, officers were checking into a report about two suspicious men in a residential area near 108 Avenue and 99 Street in Grande Prairie.

According to ASIRT, the officers spotted two men on bicycles. One of the bikes was towing a metal dolly with a large, square safe strapped to it.

The man with the safe was detained immediately, the second man fled the area on the bicycle.

An additional marked RCMP cruiser arrived and was directed to 107 Avenue to apprehend the man on the bicycle.

When the officer located the man, the cyclist left the road and rode diagonally across the lawn of a residential property.

Around 3:22 a.m., the police vehicle hit the cyclist in the side yard of the home.

The crash left the 28-year-old cyclist with serious injuries.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team was directed to investigate the incident later that day. 

ASIRT determined there was reasonable grounds to believe that an offence had been committed, and the investigation was forwarded to Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (ACPS).

ACPS determined the evidence met their standard for prosecution, and on Wednesday, Cst. Damien Lessard-Jomphe was charged with dangerous operation of a conveyance causing bodily harm.

He was released and is scheduled to appear in Grande Prairie Provincial Court on Nov. 30.

According to RCMP, Lessard-Jomphe has five years of service. He will remain on active duty until court proceedings conclude. 

ASIRT’s mandate is to investigate incidents involving Alberta police officers that result in serious injury or death to any person as well as allegations of police misconduct.