RCMP Officer Loses Bid to Dismiss Obstruction Conviction in Death of Indigenous Man

A B.C. RCMP officer convicted in connection to the 2017 in-custody death of an Indigenous man has lost his attempt to avoid sentencing, marking a rare instance of police accountability, civil rights advocates say.

Const. Arthur Dalman, based in Prince George, was found guilty of obstruction of justice in July 2024 for ordering a bystander to delete cellphone footage following the arrest of 35-year-old Dale Culver, a Gitxsan and Wet'suwet'en man who died shortly after being taken into police custody on July 18, 2017.

On May 29, 2025, a judge dismissed Dalman's application to stay the charge, in which he argued his constitutional right to a timely trial had been violated due to delays. He will now proceed to sentencing, with his next court appearance set for June 19.

Culver’s death followed a violent altercation with multiple RCMP officers. Despite years of investigations by B.C.’s Independent Investigations Office (IIO), charges weren't publicly laid until 2023 — nearly six years after the incident. While two officers initially faced manslaughter charges and three others, including Dalman, were accused of obstruction, most charges were eventually dropped. Only Dalman was found guilty.

The B.C. Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) welcomed the latest ruling.

"This is such a rare occurrence — not only was Const. Dalman found guilty, but the judge has upheld that verdict,” said BCCLA staff lawyer Latoya Farrell. “This is monumental in the broader fight for police accountability.”

Culver's daughter, Lily Speed-Namox, issued a statement through the BCCLA expressing frustration over how long it took for any officer to be held accountable.

"We’ve waited eight long years for this," she wrote. "How many more people have to die before the public realizes the system is broken?"

However, the National Police Federation criticized the ruling. Pacific-North director Chris Voller called the process unfair and said Dalman's Charter rights were ignored. He also questioned the IIO’s handling of evidence and urged a broader review of the agency’s investigative practices.

The Crown stayed manslaughter charges in 2024 after a new pathology report concluded that Culver died of a heart attack, not blunt force trauma as initially believed. By July 2024, Dalman was the only officer convicted in relation to the case.

Dalman's sentencing is expected to be closely watched as a benchmark for police accountability in Canada.