The RCMP have said the arrest of a Kelowna man who was kicked in the head by a Mountie is connected to a domestic violence situation, but the man is not facing domestic violence charges and information sworn in court by police makes no mention of such an incident.
After he was arrested Friday morning in a violent takedown that left his face bloodied and swollen, Buddy Tavares, 51, was charged with one count of careless use of a firearm.
The arrest was caught on video and the officer who kicked Mr. Tavares has been suspended with pay while he faces an internal RCMP code-of-conduct investigation, as well as a criminal investigation.
Kelowna RCMP Superintendent Bill McKinnon told reporters Monday that the charge against Mr. Tavares was "in relation to a domestic violence situation." He refused to elaborate.
However, while information sworn in court by police accuses Mr. Tavares of handling a shotgun in a "careless manner" and "without lawful excuse," it does not accuse him of domestic violence.
When asked about the discrepancy on Tuesday, Kelowna RCMP spokesman Constable Steve Holmes told The Globe and Mail that "we say it relates to domestic violence because that forms part of the circumstances to support the careless use of a firearm."
Mr. Tavares has not been charged with domestic violence, he added. "It just forms part of the background."
Constable Holmes said he was not authorized to provide further details on the circumstances surrounding the allegations against Mr. Tavares, but that they had been passed on to the Crown prosecutor who approved the charge.
He said the main focus of the charge against Mr. Tavares is the allegation that he was firing a gun without authorization in a place he did not have permission to be.
After Mr. Tavares's arrest, police said they were responding to a call that an employee of Harvest Golf Club in Kelowna was on the grounds firing a shotgun. Mr. Tavares is on disability leave from the club while he recovers from a brain injury suffered in a motorcycle accident.
One of his duties at the club was to use a shotgun to scare away geese, but police say he had no authorization to do so Friday.
Mr. Tavares's ex-wife, Trudi Tavares, also works at the Harvest Golf Club but has said the domestic violence accusation has nothing to do with her.
Constable Holmes said police have not finished their investigation of Mr. Tavares, who was released on bail Monday after spending the weekend in jail. He is due back in court Feb. 7.
"In that time, the investigation will continue with a view to discovering more evidence, solidifying evidence already acquired and … preparing the Crown's case," Constable Holmes said.
Mr. Tavares's sister, Angela Behiels, said her brother was spending Tuesday attending medical appointments and would not be giving interviews. But she said she has discussed the domestic violence accusation with him and that he has no idea what it is about.
"We're not sure what the RCMP are doing," she said. "I think they're just grasping at straws. It seems that way, anyhow."
Special to The Globe and Mail