A man is alleging a Saint John police officer assaulted him during an arrest earlier this year. Police say officers tried to stop a man on a motorized bicycle in the city’s north end around 10:41 p.m. on May 27. The man fled and police pursued him in a brief foot chase, according to a news release from police. “The male was subsequently arrested by officers for flight from police, resisting arrest and possession of a controlled substance,” the release reads. The man filed a formal complaint with the New Brunswick Police Commission on June 30, alleging he suffered an injury and an officer assaulted him. The Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) is now investigating the incident. In a separate news release, SiRT said the man suffered a “serious injury to his face” during the arrest. “The Saint John Police considers complaints involving the use of force serious and we are confident that SiRT will conduct a thorough, independent, and transparent investigation,” said acting Chief Neal Fowler. SiRT handles all incidents involving serious injury, death, sexual assault and intimate partner violence that may have arisen from the actions of police in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
