Off-duty RCMP officer charged with assault

An off-duty RCMP constable has been charged with assault causing bodily harm upon a man in Melfort in connection with an incident on Nov. 6.

Const. Anthony Bear, 26, who is stationed in La Loche, is currently not on active duty, said Sgt. Paul Dawson, though he did not confirm a connection between Bear’s status and the criminal charge.

“He has his day in court like any other member of the public,” Dawson said.

Bear was arrested after the Nov. 6 incident said to have occurred around 3:50 a.m. He was released later that day, Dawson said.

The charge was laid Nov. 18 following an RCMP investigation.

Bear is scheduled to make his first appearance in Melfort provincial court Dec. 14.

An internal code of conduct investigation has not been ordered but could be done at some point in the future, Dawson said.

Bear’s first RCMP posting was to Melfort in 2008, according to a news item in the Melfort Journal at that time.