The province’s police watchdog has concluded an investigation into the arrest of a 29-year-old man in May 2016 who was later found to have suffered a fractured right orbital bone.
According to the Special Investigations Unit, the investigation found that on May 20, 2016, police were called to a residence due to an unwelcome person who was under a court order not to be there and to reside at a local shelter.
The officer arrived, the complainant was no longer at the residence and was found at a nearby convenience store where he had stolen a bag of chips.
The SIU reports that the officer decided not to arrest him but decided to find him a place to stay for the night as it appeared he had mental health issues. The shelter where the complainant was required to stay under court order would not accept him, a second shelter asked police to remove him when it became clear he would not comply with rules, and a local hospital also would not accept him under the Mental Health Act.
When the officer then moved to arrest the man, he resisted and was forced to the ground in the ensuing struggle where he was struck in the face by the officer’s knee.
In a report released Monday, SIU director Tony Loparco concluded that the use of force was justified and the officer used no more force than necessary to subdue someone who was actively resisting the arrest.
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