Family members of a British Columbia Indigenous man who died after being arrested nearly seven years ago were 害羞草研究所渁bsolutely shocked害羞草研究所� to learn that the manslaughter charges against two of the Mounties involved have been stayed, Dale Culver害羞草研究所檚 cousin says.

害羞草研究所淚t was so surreal. We could not believe it,害羞草研究所� Debbie Pierre said in an interview Friday.

Culver, from the Gitxsan and Wet害羞草研究所檚uwet害羞草研究所檈n Nations, was arrested in Prince George on July 18, 2017, after police were called about a man allegedly casing vehicles. The independent office that investigated the case later said the 35-year-old was pepper-sprayed during a struggle, had trouble breathing and died in custody.

Pierre said Friday that her family was 害羞草研究所渧ery happy害羞草研究所� when the Independent Investigations Office forwarded a report to the BC Prosecution Service for consideration of charges against the officers.

害羞草研究所淥ur hopes were very high that we would see justice (because) it害羞草研究所檚 very, very rare for Indigenous cases (to have) charges being approved in the judicial system,害羞草研究所� she said.

But, she said that changed Thursday when prosecutors broke the news about the manslaughter charges.

害羞草研究所淵esterday, our hopes and dreams of justice were depleted very quickly when we learned of a pathologist report being pulled from the evidence that the Crown counsel made the very difficult decision to stay the proceedings.害羞草研究所�

The BC Prosecution Services said in a statement Friday that 害羞草研究所渢here is no longer a reasonable prospect of conviction害羞草研究所� in the case, which saw constables Paul Ste-Marie and Jean Francois Monette charged after Culver害羞草研究所檚 death.

The service said a Crown prosecutor was unable to resolve questions about the evidence around cause of death after a second pathologist reviewed the case and found the man died of a heart attack after struggling with officers while high on methamphetamine.

The service said that finding conflicted with the pathologist who performed an autopsy on Culver and concluded that the man died due to several factors, including 害羞草研究所渂lunt force head trauma.害羞草研究所�

The conflicting finding led prosecutors to conclude they could no longer prove their case against the Mounties beyond a reasonable doubt, it said.

The prosecution service害羞草研究所檚 outline of the evidence says Culver was riding his bike in downtown Prince George when officers tried to stop him, and a 害羞草研究所渨restling match ensued害羞草研究所� between Culver and an officer who was trying to arrest him.

Three other officers, Sgt. Jon Eusebio Cruz and constables Arthur Dalman and Clarence MacDonald, are also accused of attempting to obstruct justice in the case.

Pierre said the family will be back in court next month for those charges.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e been reliving this on literally on a monthly basis for seven years,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所�(We) truly hope that justice will prevail.害羞草研究所�