A veteran Chatham-Kent police officer accused of drunk driving while off-duty will be back in Chatham court in October to challenge the charges.
A Charter application hearing for Bryan Vaughn, 51, of Chatham will be held on October 19, 2023 after a motion was brought forward by his lawyer alleging a breach or breaches of Vaughn's Charter rights.
The Charter guarantees people in Canada cannot face unreasonable searches and seizure of person or property.
If the Charter application is successful, the impaired driving charge could be in jeopardy. The trial could be stopped temporarily by the Crown or ended by a judge, or evidence could be excluded from the trial.
The 16-year veteran cop was charged with impaired driving after a single vehicle crash in Chatham January 5, 2022.
At the time, Chatham-Kent police said officers were called to the scene on Howard Road near Indian Creek Road at around 7 p.m., adding the driver, an off-duty officer, had left the scene by the time police arrived.
Vaughn was arrested at his home and charged with having a blood alcohol content over the legal limit and failing to report an accident, police said.
According to police, he was later released from custody and has been re-assigned to administrative duties.
