Arrest of Man in Lunenburg County by RCMP to be investigated by SiRT

On Friday, April 15, SiRT became aware of videos showing the arrest of a male by three male members of the RCMP inside of premises located in Lunenburg County. The incident has been the subject of various media coverage since that time.

While the matter does not involve serious injury or death, SiRT’s mandate allows it to assume investigations when it is deemed to be in the public interest to do so. To meet that test, a matter must be significant and best addressed by a SiRT investigation as opposed to another form of oversight.  In this case, Ron MacDonald, Director of SiRT, stated:

“The video in this matter, on its face, raises some possible issues, and has met with a variety of negative comments from various sources. A SiRT investigation has the benefit of providing a conclusion about what occurred from an independent agency that will make its decision publically available. It must be remembered that while the video offers some evidence in the matter, the investigation will gather all relevant information before reaching any decisions.”

The Serious Incident Response Team is responsible for investigating all serious incidents involving police in Nova Scotia, whether or not there is an allegation of wrongdoing.

The team can independently begin an investigation after a referral from a chief of police, the head of the RCMP in Nova Scotia or the Minister of Justice. It can also investigate after a complaint from the public.

The Police Act requires the director to file a public report summarizing the result of the investigation within three months after it is finished.

Media Contact:

Ron MacDonald, QC

Director

902-718-9707

ronald.j.macdonald@novascotia.ca