BC police officer charged with excessive speeding

Prosecutors say they have charged a Surrey police officer with speeding following an incident last year.

A statement from the BC Prosecution Service says the charge against Surrey Police Service Const. Jared Cebryk is in connection with events that happened in the city on June 18, 2023.

The statement does not provide any details, but a bulletin from the police watchdog about a case involving two Surrey officers on the same date says police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle and the car was subsequently involved in a crash.

The bulletin issued by the Independent Investigations Office in May says the driver was taken into custody and transported to hospital where he was found to have injuries.

It says chief civilian director Sandra Hentzen determined reasonable grounds exist to believe that two officers, one from the Surrey Police Service and another with the RCMP, "may have committed offences related to grounds to pursue and driving offences."

Surrey Police Service spokesman Ian MacDonald said in a statement that the department won't comment on the matter while it's before the courts, but Cebryk has contributed a great deal to front-line public safety in Surrey.

"He has been driving as part of his duties to date and he will continue to do so as the matter makes its way through due process in the courts," MacDonald said.

The statement from the prosecution service says the charge was approved by an experienced Crown counsel with no connection to the officer, and that it will not be commenting further on the case.