15-05-2025
Officer with the Central Saanich, B.C., police charged with driving offence
A Central Saanich police vehicle is seen in Central Saanich, a district municipality in Greater Victoria, B.C., on December 20, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chad Hipolito
The BC Prosecution Service says an officer with the Central Saanich Police Service has been charged for driving without due care and attention.
The charge against Cpl. Phillip DiBattista is in relation to a crash with a cyclist that happened on May 21, 2024.
The prosecution service says B.C.'s police watchdog investigated the crash and filed a report for consideration of charges.
The Independent Investigations Office said in a news release issued in March that a man on his bicycle was going in the same direction as the officer when they were involved in a crash.
The office said that while it was later determined the man's injuries didn't meet the threshold for serious harm, the director of police services ordered it to continue with the investigation.
DiBattista's first court appearance on the charge is scheduled for June 11 at the Victoria Law Courts.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 15, 2025.
