Two-and-a-half years after her son Hudson in South Surrey, Jennifer Brooks has learned that one officer has been charged.
It鈥檚 鈥渁 huge accomplishment,鈥� Brooks told Peace Arch News Tuesday morning, following a meeting with Crown Counsel. 鈥淚 wanted charges.鈥�
BC Prosecution Service confirmed Surrey RCMP Const. Elizabeth Cucheran has been charged with one count of aggravated assault and one count of assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the July 18, 2015 incident.
The charges were sworn Tuesday morning; Cucheran鈥檚 first court appearance is set for Jan. 9 in Surrey Provincial Court.
Brooks that a decision on charges had been made, and told PAN she was 鈥減raying鈥� it would be the outcome she and others have been calling for.
Outside the Crown office Tuesday, Brooks expressed her gratitude to the community and media.
鈥淚鈥檓 so grateful 鈥� I鈥檓 grateful to you all. We could not have done this without each and every one of you.鈥�
She also thanked Hudson for being 鈥渟uch a wonderful son鈥� He didn鈥檛 deserve this.鈥�
Hudson Brooks was 20 when he died on July 18, 2015, after what police initially described as a physical struggle outside of the South Surrey RCMP detachment, in the 1800-block of 152 Street. The altercation also resulted in an officer being transported to hospital with a non-life-threatening gunshot wound.
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nly police-issued firearms were found at the scene.
Over time, Jennifer Brooks learned that her son had been shirtless and unarmed at the time, and that he was shot at close range.
In October of last year, the Independent Investigations Office announced that a report would be filed to Crown counsel 鈥渇or consideration of charges鈥� against one or more officers in connection with Brooks鈥� death.
On the one-year anniversary of , his mother told PAN the wait has been 鈥渟uch agony.鈥�
The news release issued by BC Prosecution Service Tuesday morning said charges were approved following a complete review of evidence by senior Crown counsel.
鈥淭he investigation and charge assessment process were protracted due, in part, to the complexities of the evidentiary issues in the case and the requirement for further investigation and analysis,鈥� the release states.
Jennifer Brooks said she now understands why the process took so long.
鈥淐rown counsel took this very, very seriously,鈥� Brooks commented. 鈥淚t took a long, long time. There was a lot of evidence and they had to decipher through everything.鈥�
Brother Beaudry Brooks, 24, said he was 鈥渞elieved鈥� to hear charges were laid in his sibling鈥檚 death, but that he believes the officer 鈥減robably should have been charged higher.鈥�
Jennifer Brooks said she鈥檚 just happy to have charges, and that she hopes it will 鈥渕ake a difference in how police handle situations.鈥�
She does not, however, want to know what the accused looks like, and has said she will not share the officer鈥檚 name on social media, even though it is already public.
鈥淭hey have a family, too,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檓 not on a witch hunt. I don鈥檛 think this woman walked out and said, 鈥業鈥檓 going to shoot and kill a boy today.鈥� It鈥檚 such a tragedy. There鈥檚 a no-win situation here, for our family and hers.鈥�
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