SiRT Concludes Investigation into Serious Injuries Sustained During Arrest

The Director of the Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) found no reasonable grounds to believe that an RCMP officer committed a criminal offence in connection with a serious injury sustained during an arrest.

On January 31, 2024, the SiRT received a referral from the RCMP in Guysborough County, Nova Scotia.  On January 30, 2024, the RCMP received a 911 call regarding threats of violence with weapons in an intimate partner/domestic relationship in Sunnyville, Guysborough. Two RCMP officers responded. Attempts to peacefully arrest the male involved were unsuccessful. When the officers took hold of the male’s arms to arrest him, a struggle ensued and one of the officers struck the male in the face to gain control and apply handcuffs. The male was arrested and later assessed at hospital, where he was diagnosed with an orbital bone fracture and released.

The full report is available at http://sirt.novascotia.ca

The SiRT is responsible for investigating all matters that involve death, serious injury, sexual assault and intimate partner violence or other matters of a public interest to be investigated that may have arisen from the actions of any police officer in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Investigations are under the direction and control of an independent civilian director, who has the sole authority to determine if charges should be laid at the conclusion of an investigation.

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