BIBLE HILL, N.S. – A Colchester District RCMP officer used reasonable and justified force when he took a man into custody, who injured his hand in the process.
The province’s Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) released its report regarding the Aug. 20, 2018 arrest of a 24-year-old male by a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Colchester District.
In the early morning hours of Aug. 19, an officer observed a vehicle stopped in an area where suspicious activity had recently been occurring. The officer approached the vehicle and noticed an odour of alcohol coming from the driver. Suspecting the driver was impaired, the officer asked him to provide a breath sample. After several unsuccessful attempts, the male was told he would be arrested for refusal.
When the officer attempted to arrest the suspect, he resisted and tried to return to his vehicle. It was during the course of his arrest that the suspect suffered an injury to his hand. He was taken to hospital for an assessment and treated for his injury.
The evidence showed the police had the right to arrest the man, according to the report. The force used to control the man was reasonable and justified as necessary, to protect the officer. No excessive force was used and the male’s hand was fractured unintentionally, as a result of the struggle with police. Therefore, is was determined, no charges were warranted against the officer.
The full report is available at http://sirt.novascotia.ca.
