A 34-year-old RCMP constable has been charged with one count of assault after a use-of-force investigation in connection with an incident at the Slave Lake RCMP detachment.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) was directed on Dec. 12, 2017 to investigate an incident that happened at the Slave Lake detachment in September 2017.
At about 5:40 a.m. on Sept. 19, an RCMP member responded to a call and arrested “a grossly intoxicated 30-year-old man for mischief and transported him to the Slave Lake detachment,” ASIRT said in a news release Monday.
While the officer was booking the man, the man took off his shirt and threw it underhand at the officer, who caught it in his hand.
The officer then “took the man to the ground, where the man was repeatedly punched in the head, kneed in the back and his head was pushed into the floor,” ASIRT said.
“The man did not sustain any significant injuries,” ASIRT said, but Executive Director Sue Hughson said, “be mindful of the fact that we were investigating some time after. But we spoke with individuals who had contact with him after the incident… and there were no observable significant injuries that were identified.”
The response was captured on security video.
Watch below: An RCMP member has been charged with assault following an incident at the Slave Lake RCMP detachment in September 2017. ASIRT executive director Susan Hughson said the assault was caught on camera.
The footage was disclosed in court while the 30-year-old man was being prosecuted. At that time, the use of force was raised and challenged.
After court, the officer notified his supervisor and the RCMP notified the director of law enforcement. ASIRT was then directed to investigate.
Evidence gathered “provided reasonable grounds to believe that an offence had been committed and, as such, the investigation was forwarded to the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service (ACPS) to determine whether the evidence met the standards for prosecution,” ASIRT said.
ACPS determined there were grounds to believe an offence had been committed.
Const. Licio Soares, 34, was charged with one count of assault on June 6, 2019.
He was released on a promise to appear. Soares is scheduled to appear in court on July 10.
Charges against the 30-year-old man were “ultimately withdrawn.”
Alberta RCMP said Monday Soares is a seven-year member and his work status remains unchanged; he remains on active duty.
Watch below: A Slave Lake RCMP officer has been charged with assault. Kendra Slugoski has the details.
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