Official News Release Download
In February 2020, a vehicle traffic stop in Abbotsford, BC, escalated when the accused, Dustin Mills, assaulted a Police Officer and fled from the scene. Mr. Mills was located by police and stopped in West Vancouver.
Mr. Mills was arrested with the assistance of numerous police agencies, including Lower Mainland Integrated Police Dog Service Handler Sgt. Shaun Nagel and his police service dog.
During the arrest, it took numerous officers, including Sgt. Nagel, to arrest Mr. Mills, who was subsequently found guilty by the courts of multiple offences stemming from this incident.
In June 2022, after the investigation by the Independent Investigation Office into the actions taken by Sgt. Nagel and his service dog to arrest Mr. Mills, a charge of assault against Sgt. Nagel was approved by Crown Counsel.
The associated trial for Sgt. Nagel commenced in September 2023 and was concluded in January 2024, when Crown Counsel submitted an acquittal request for the charge against Sgt. Nagel. An acquittal is a finding by a judge that the defendant in question is not guilty of the crime.
“I am satisfied with the Court’s acquittal of Sergeant Shaun Nagel. It is important for the public to know this acquittal was presented by the Crown and accepted by the Court. Sergeant Nagel deployed his police dog under difficult and dynamic circumstances to arrest a volatile suspect without having the luxury of pausing a scene or going to a video-assisted referee to find a new angle. I am grateful no members of the public or other officers were harmed during this high-risk arrest. I would like to acknowledge the professionalism, integrity, and dignity Sergeant Nagel has demonstrated throughout this process.”
Jason Burrows
Deputy Chief Constable, Administration
Abbotsford Police Department