Five Canadian Mounties have been charged over the death of an indigenous man in custody.

Dale Culver, 35, died in police custody in Prince George, British Columbia, in July 2017.

The father-of-three, who is a member of the indigenous Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en Nations, was arrested and pepper sprayed as officers responded to a report of a man inspecting parked cars.

Mr Culver was put into the back of a police patrol car. He collapsed after being removed from the vehicle, and later died in hospital.

His death sparked a report by the Independent Investigations Office (IIO) of British Columbia, which alleged officers used excessive force.

The report, in 2020, also alleged that racial bias could have influenced the actions of the officers and asked prosecutors to consider pressing charges.

Now prosecutors in British Columbia have announced that they have charged two officers from Prince George Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on suspicion of manslaughter.

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Constable Paul Ste-Marie and Constable Jean Francois Monette will appear in court in March.

They will appear alongside RCMP colleagues Constable Arthur Dalman, Constable Clarence Alexander MacDonald, and Sergeant Bayani Eusebio Cruz with attempting to obstruct justice.

All five officers are due to appear before Prince George Provincial Court on 14 March.

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