Fort Nelson, B.C., shooting charges stayed against two men, including gang leader

The B.C. RCMP Divisional Headquarters is seen, in Surrey, B.C., on Jan. 11, 2024. (Ethan Cairns / The Canadian Press)

FORT NELSON, B.C. — A spokeswoman for the BC Prosecution Service says charges have been stayed against two men in connection with a shooting last month in Fort Nelson, B.C., including one identified by police and in the courts as a gang leader.

RCMP previously said that Jarrod Bacon had been charged with aggravated assault, while another man named John Chasse faced an assault charge in connection with the Jan. 29 shooting that sent one person to hospital.

Court records show Bacon and Chasse, both 41 years old, have criminal histories dating back decades in B.C.

Bacon has been identified by police and in the courts as one of the leaders of the Red Scorpions — a drug trafficking group tied to a deadly gang war in the province.

Spokeswoman Damienne Darby says in a statement that the stay of proceedings against the men occurred on Feb. 14.

She says the service does not disclose the reasons for such decisions, but the prosecutor reviewed the investigative materials and charge approval standard was no longer met.

“In these circumstances a stay of proceedings is the appropriate course of action,” she says in the statement.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2025.

The Canadian Press