The Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) has determined a New Brunswick RCMP officer did not commit a criminal offence during an arrest that fractured a man’s nasal bone last summer. According to a SiRT report, RCMP officers executed a search warrant at a Moncton property around 5 a.m. on June 2. They brought their emergency response team (which uses armoured vehicles and carbine firearms) due to the risk of the operation. Police identified themselves and activated their sirens at the property. They arrested two people from a garage and one person from a trailer, according to the report. A fourth person exited the garage with a water bottle in his hand. Police told him to put his hands in the air, but he did not comply and continued to walk forward. “The SO (subject officer) grabbed the arms of the AP (affected party) and told him to get down on the ground to which the AP resisted,” the report reads. “The SO took the AP to the ground, causing the AP to hit his face. The AP sustained an injury to his face and was transported to hospital.” Medical records showed the man suffered a fractured nasal bone and nasal septal deviation towards the right side. The man told SiRT investigators he is hard of hearing and could not hear the officer during the incident, and did not understand that police were on his property. Despite that, SiRT determined the flashing emergency lights and officers wearing full equipment marked “POLICE” made it clear police were at the scene. “Given the identified risks and the AP’s failure to follow the SO’s commands, it was reasonable for the SO to use force to gain control of the AP and secure him in handcuffs,” said SiRT director Erin Nauss. “After a careful review of the evidence and the law, I have determined that there are no reasonable grounds to lay a charge against the officers involved.” For more New Brunswick news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
