A verdict is scheduled to be delivered today (Thursday) in the trial of the man charged with killing Abbotsford Police Const. John Davidson in 2017.
Justice Carol Ross will give her decision in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster on whether Oscar Arfmann, 67, is guilty of first-degree murder.
Ross previously said that if she convicts Arfmann, she wants both the Crown and defence to be prepared to make submissions on his mental state at the time of the killing.
This “mini trial” could result in a ruling of not criminally responsible (NCR) due to mental illness.
An NCR ruling would mean that the judge believes that Arfmann did not have the capacity to appreciate his actions and know right from wrong at the time of the offence.
Individuals who receive such a ruling fall under the mandate of the BC Review Board, which conducts an assessment to determine whether the person should be detained in a hospital, discharged in the community under certain conditions or discharged without conditions.
Davidson, 53, was killed Nov. 6, 2017 when he was the first officer to arrive on scene after police received reports of shots being fired at civilians at a strip mall on Mt. Lehman Road in Abbotsford.
Arfmann was arrested not far from the scene following a brief police chase that ended in a crash and with more shots being fired. He was charged the following day.
His trial began in late May and ended on Aug. 2.
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