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Fitness Test for Officer Yang's Accused Killer
13 Jan
Summary
- Mental fitness assessment ordered for accused in officer's death.
- Trial for the killing of Const. Shaelyn Yang is now adjourned.
- Accused faced prior assault charges before the fatal incident.
Jongwon Ham, accused in the death of Burnaby RCMP Const. Shaelyn Yang, will undergo a mental fitness assessment. The assessment delays the start of his trial, which was scheduled to begin this week. Ham faces a first-degree murder charge in connection with Yang's killing on October 18, 2022.
Const. Yang, a mental health and homeless outreach officer, was fatally stabbed when she approached a man sheltering in a tent in Broadview Park. B.C.'s police watchdog determined no officer committed an offense during the incident, during which the suspect was also wounded by police.
Court records indicate Ham had prior assault charges before the fatal encounter. He was charged with assaulting a man and resisting arrest in February 2021 and faced another assault charge shortly after being released on bail in March 2022.
