Charges of sexual assault, uttering threats stayed against B.C. RCMP officer

The RCMP logo is seen on the shoulder of a superintendent during a news conference, Saturday, June 24, 2023, in St. John’s, N.L. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Criminal proceedings against a British Columbia RCMP officer, who had been charged with sexual assault and uttering threats, have been stayed, the B.C. Prosecution Service confirmed Thursday.

The prosecution service says the stay was directed on Feb. 17 in the case of Const. Jason Sammoun of the Ladysmith RCMP.

Sammoun had been charged with one count of uttering threats and two counts of sexual assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm on Dec. 30, 2024.

All three charges stemmed from allegations that arose earlier that year in Nanaimo and Victoria, according to court records.

Prosecution service spokesperson Damienne Darby says the office can move to stay proceedings at any time if the lead prosecutor on a case concludes there is no longer a substantial likelihood of conviction, or if prosecution is no longer considered to be in the public interest.

“Except in rare cases where the assistant deputy attorney general determines it’s in the public interest to do so, the B.C. Prosecution Service does not disclose reasons behind the exercise of our prosecutorial discretion, including a decision to direct a stay of proceedings,” Darby said in a statement to CTV News.

Sammoun was suspended without pay when the charges were announced and his official duty status was subject to ongoing review, a spokesperson for the RCMP told CTV News in January 2025.

“Immediately upon learning of the circumstances, a Code of Conduct investigation was initiated and remains ongoing,” Sgt. Vanessa Munn said at the time.

Details of the arrest warrant and supporting documents in the case were sealed against public disclosure last year, according to the Nanaimo court registry.