Independent watchdog agency charges New Brunswick RCMP officer with assault

The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police "E" Division Headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., on April 13, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

MONCTON, N.B. — An RCMP officer in New Brunswick has been charged with assault causing bodily harm following an investigation by an independent police oversight agency.

The Serious Incident Response Team issued a statement saying Const. Billy Parent-Roy with the Moncton detachment was charged Thursday.

The team says it was called on July 29, 2022, after the RCMP received an allegation that an officer had assaulted a person in custody in Shediac, N.B.

The response team did not release further details, but the RCMP issued a statement on July 29, 2022, confirming there was an incident that day involving a man being transferred to a police jail cell in Shediac after he was arrested for public intoxication.

The 51-year-old man was described by the RCMP as agitated and aggressive, and as a result he was placed in handcuffs and leg shackles.

The Mounties said there was an altercation while the man was being moved to the cell area, which resulted in one officer suffering an unspecified injury.

A review of what happened prompted the RCMP to call in the oversight agency, which is based in Nova Scotia. At the time, one unnamed officer was placed on administrative duties.

On Thursday, the RCMP issued a statement saying it takes the allegation seriously and is co-operating with the team.

"As the employer, the RCMP will proceed with appropriate actions pending the outcome of the legal proceedings," the statement says.

"RCMP members are expected to hold themselves to a high moral and professional standard. We understand and respect the impact it can have on public trust when there is any allegation that a member has not met the standard that our communities deserve."

Parent-Roy is scheduled to appear in Moncton provincial court on May 25.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2023.