An Edmonton Police Service officer was acquitted by a jury on Wednesday, after he was accused of assaulting a man with a baton while trying to arrest him more than five years ago.
Const. Alexander (Alex) Doduk was found not guilty of assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm in connection with an encounter he had with Edmonton man Justin LaFrance in November of 2019.
Court of King’s Bench Justice Lisa Silver told the jury on Tuesday it had to decide whether Doduk’s use of force was justified. If the jury had any doubts that the officer’s actions were criminal, they must acquit.
A security video played in court showed Doduk is attempting to arrest LaFrance at about 8:35 a.m. on Nov. 26, 2019, along 97th Street north of 103A Avenue.
Const. Doduk punched LaFrance in the head before pulling out his baton, striking him several times. It also shows LaFrance repeatedly approached Doduk and touched the officer.
LaFrance said he was trying to catch someone he suspected of breaking a window at the construction site where he was working at, and ran to the police officer’s vehicle in an attempt to flag him down when he saw him.
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Const. Doduk testified late last week that he had reasonable grounds to arrest LaFrance for assaulting a police officer and obstruction.
He said that while he was trying to handcuff another man, LaFrance pushed him. Doduk said he then tried to arrest Lafrance, but he resisted.
“My husband was the complainant. he was trying to get help,” said Lindsey LaFrance, who attended her husband’s trial and said she broke down in tears upon hearing the verdict.
“I don’t know how he came back not guilty on both counts. My mind is boggled. I have no idea how,” she told Global News, adding she’s never had any issues dealing with police but now, has lost trust in law enforcement.
“I won’t ever call 911 again in my life,” she said. “The thought of even dealing with cops now — it scares me — what if he shows up?”
“I’m terrified of them. What if they react the wrong way with me asking for help?”
LaFrance said she’s furious and feels let down by the legal system.
“We’ve been fighting this for five and a half years, and Doduk gets to walk away guilt-free.”
After being struck by the officer’s baton, LaFrance was taken to hospital and treated for a broken nose, as well as bruising to his face, ribs and left shoulder.
He was also noted to have a chipped tooth, according to the report done by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team after the incident.
The police watchdog agency announced the charges against Doduk in 2023, saying it had reasonable grounds to believe an offence had been committed and the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service determined the evidence met the standard for prosecution.
Now that the trial has ended, EPS said the matter will now proceed to a police service regulation investigation.
Const. Doduk remains on duty but in what police call a non-operational role.
— With files from Phil Heidenreich and Karen Bartko, Global News
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