Smiths Falls, Ont. police officers return to duty as investigation continues into woman’s arrest

Two police officers in Smiths Falls, Ont. are back on active duty, three weeks after a video circulated on social media of an interaction between a suspect and an officer following an arrest.

The video showed an officer dragging a woman by her legs out of a cruiser and pinning her to the ground on Saturday, June 7.

On June 9, Smiths Falls Police Chief Jodi Empey said the two officers involved in the arrest had been placed on administrative duties until the completion of the investigation. Empey also said an outside police service was investigating.

On Monday, Empey said the two officers are back on active duty.

“As a result of an internal review, the decision has been made to return officers to active duty, while the external investigation continues with Cornwall Police Service,” Empey said in a statement posted to the Smiths Falls Police website.

“I will not be commenting further until this investigation is concluded.”

The names of the two officers have not been released.

Police said at around 9 p.m. on June 7, officers were called to a residence on Lombard Street in relation to a complaint about a woman who had assaulted and uttered threats towards the occupant of the home.

At approximately 11 p.m., police were called to a business on Main Street East.

Police say the call was “regarding the same female causing a disturbance, who allegedly threw a table hitting the wall and was belligerent to staff and customers.”

“Upon investigation, the female was arrested for causing a disturbance and mischief after determining the table was damaged as a result,” police said.

Police say the woman was placed in the back of the cruiser.

“At that time, the female is alleged to have repeatedly spit and kicked through the open portion of the plexiglass divider where an officer then intervened,” police said.

The woman is facing two counts of assaulting police, two counts of mischief under $5,000, two counts of failing to comply with probation, and one count each of causing a disturbance and uttering threats.

The woman’s sister, Sarah Black, identified the suspect as Rebecca McNaughton.