Former Senior BC Mountie Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Teen at Lacrosse Game

RCMP Asst. Commissioner David Teboul speaks during a news conference at RCMP headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., on Oct. 31, 2024. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck

A former RCMP assistant commissioner in Abbotsford, B.C., has pleaded guilty to assaulting a teenager by grabbing his throat following a lacrosse game in July 2025 that involved the officer’s son.

David Teboul pleaded guilty in Abbotsford Provincial Court on Oct. 28 to one count of assault stemming from the off-duty altercation. Police originally charged him with two counts of assault and one count of assault by choking involving two people, whose identities were protected by a publication ban.

According to an agreed statement of facts presented in court, Teboul grabbed the 16-year-old victim by the neck with enough force to lift him off the floor and pinned him against a low wall. Teboul later grabbed the teenager’s neck a second time and bent him over the wall for about 15 seconds.

Special prosecutor Andi MacKay told the court that Teboul identified himself as a police officer during the assault, which may have discouraged the teenager from fighting back. MacKay also said Teboul later gave Abbotsford police an account of the incident that was “inconsistent” with video footage shown in court.

“There was zero provocation in this case,” MacKay said, arguing that a conditional discharge would be “wholly inappropriate.”

Teboul’s defence lawyer, Brock Martland, requested a conditional discharge, while the Crown sought a suspended sentence with 18 months of probation.

A conditional discharge would allow Teboul to avoid a criminal conviction if he complies with court-ordered conditions. A suspended sentence, meanwhile, would leave him with a conviction and a criminal record, although he would serve probation rather than receive an immediate jail sentence.

The court heard that the incident occurred on July 2, 2025, at the Abbotsford Recreation Centre following a lacrosse game involving Teboul’s son.

According to the agreed statement of facts, a verbal dispute between Teboul’s son and another 16-year-old player drew in Teboul’s wife. The confrontation turned violent when Teboul intervened.

The B.C. Prosecution Service appointed MacKay as a special prosecutor in August 2025 while Abbotsford police investigated the allegations. Teboul was charged on Sept. 18.

The prosecution service said it appointed a special prosecutor “to avoid any potential for real or perceived improper influence in the administration of justice” because of Teboul’s senior position within the RCMP.

Teboul joined the RCMP in 1997 and served in several detachments along Canada’s West Coast, according to the force’s website.

His career included more than a decade investigating homicides, several years leading the RCMP’s Anti-Corruption Unit, and eight years with British Columbia’s National Security Counter-Terrorism Program, including nearly three years as its commander.

In March 2024, he became assistant commissioner and federal policing regional commander for the Pacific region, overseeing federal policing operations in B.C. and Yukon. His responsibilities included national security, organized crime, border security, financial crime, and protective services.

MacKay told the court on Oct. 28 that Teboul had since left his leadership position.

The RCMP website said Teboul had received several service awards and commendations. He also received the King Charles III Coronation Medal in June 2025.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.