Charge Dropped Against Soldier Accused of Negligence in Training Exercise Death

Canadian Armed Forces soldiers from 1st Battalion, Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry conduct a level 2 (section) range during Exercise PATRICIA SPEAR, March 11 2022, at 3rd Canadian Division Support Base Detachment Wainwright training area. (Corporal Djalma Vuong-De Ramos, Canadian Armed Forces photo)

The Canadian military justice system on Feb. 13 dropped the charge against a Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) member accused of negligence leading to the death of a fellow soldier during a live-fire training exercise in 2020.

Cpl. Lars Callsen, a member of the 3^rd Battalion of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry (PPCLI), was due to face a court martial in Edmonton on March 6.

Callsen had been charged in May 2021 with one count of “negligently omitting to do something in relation to a thing that may be dangerous to life, which omission caused loss of life,” which is punishable under Section 127 of the National Defence Act.

“However, after further deliberation, Canadian Military Prosecution Service has determined that the charge against Corporal Callsen should not be pursued,” a Department of National Defence (DND) spokesperson told The Epoch Times.

DND didn’t say whether it would pursue other administrative measures against Callsen, but said if it does it would be protected information not releasable under the Privacy Act.

Callsen was charged in relation to the October 2020 death of 29-year-old Cpl. James Choi, a reservist from the Royal Westminster Regiment in B.C.

Choi at the time was participating in Exercise SPARTAN RESCUE as part of the PPCLI’s fall training program on Canadian Forces Base Wainwright in Alberta.

Reserve Force members from western Canada were augmenting the effectives of the Regular Force unit.

Choi was shot during a live-fire training exercise involving trench-clearing drills under low light conditions, says DND.

The reservist was taken to a hospital in Wainwright and subsequently airlifted to Edmonton, but he passed the next day, reported The Canadian Press.

DND says the drills were being supervised by unit leadership and safety staff, but none of them were charged in relation to the incident. Safety is the responsibility of the officer in charge.

The department also indicated that policy requires the use of specific personal protective equipment during live-firing where fragmentation munitions are being used.

This includes at a minimum a helmet, hearing protection, ballistic eyewear, and fragmentation vests. DND didn’t say whether any of these protections were lacking on the day of the incident.

DND says that Callsen has been a Regular Force member since 2013 and that he continues to serve as a rifleman with the PPCLI.