B.C. provincial court Judge Michael Fortino will take two weeks to deliberate on the sentencing hearing of Prince George RCMP officer Arthur Dalman, who was convicted of obstruction of justice in 2024 after a two-day hearing.
The charges against Dalman stemmed from the 2017 death of Dale Culver, a 35-year-old Gitxsan and Wet’suwet’en man who died in police custody following an altercation with multiple officers. Although Dalman was not directly involved in the physical confrontation, he was found guilty of instructing a witness to delete a video taken at the scene of Culver’s arrest.
The aftermath of Culver’s death has been closely monitored by civil rights advocates and First Nations leadership in B.C. as a litmus test for police accountability within the justice system. Dalman is the sole officer among five charged in connection to Culver’s death to be convicted.
Crown prosecutors are pushing for a six-month prison term for Dalman, emphasizing the severe impact of obstruction of justice on societal values. They highlighted that Dalman’s testimony during the trial was discredited, indicating that he had lied under oath.
On the other hand, Dalman’s defense team is advocating for a 12-month conditional discharge, arguing that mitigating factors, such as the lengthy delay between the offense and charges being laid, should lead to a reduced sentence. They portrayed Dalman’s actions as stemming from a zealous but inexperienced mindset, as he was only a five-month recruit at the time of the incident.
During the hearing, victim impact statements from Culver’s family members, including his daughter and aunt, underscored the profound and lasting effects of his death on their trust in the justice system and the RCMP. They emphasized that obstruction of justice not only hindered their pursuit of truth and justice but also deepened their emotional trauma.
Dalman also spoke in court about the toll the prolonged legal battle took on his personal and professional life, including receiving death threats that forced his family to relocate and ultimately resigning from the RCMP. His defense team highlighted the potential loss of employment opportunities if he were to carry a criminal record.
The final decision on Dalman’s sentencing is pending, with Judge Fortino expected to schedule a date for the verdict announcement shortly.