The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team says it will examine the conduct of the RCMP officer who injured an intoxicated Sherwood Park man on July 21.
Video taken by witnesses show the man hitting his head on the sidewalk after being taken to the ground by a single RCMP officer.
According to ASIRT, Strathcona County Emergency Services were dispatched to a report of a fire inside a suite of the Emerald Hills apartments in Sherwood Park around 6:15 p.m. Tuesday.
First responders were unable to reach the 58-year-old resident at the time of the fire.
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More than an hour later, RCMP were called to deal with that same resident, who was intoxicated and causing a disturbance in a nearby Starbucks. Officers did not arrest the man at that time. RCMP previously said they’d asked him to leave the property.
“Shortly thereafter, the man returned to his apartment building and attempted to gain entry into his suite. Building staff and a fire marshal informed him that he could not enter the suite due to the amount of smoke in the unit, and a confrontation occurred,” ASIRT’s statement says.
“It was reported that the man had physically assaulted the fire marshal.”
At about 8 p.m. police were dispatched again for the man, in relation to the reported assault.
ASIRT says one RCMP officer arrived on scene and attempted to arrest the man.
“While taking physical custody of the man, the officer took him to the ground, at which time the man’s head struck the ground, resulting in a laceration and bleeding. Police tended to the man and placed him in the recovery position until EMS arrived.”
The man was taken to hospital, “where he was examined to ensure that he had not sustained any serious head injury, treated for the minor head laceration, and released about 12 hours later,” ASIRT wrote.
In an interview with Global News on Wednesday, the man — who identified himself only as Mike — said he suffered a brain bleed, but would be okay.
The investigation into the RCMP’s conduct will be conducted by ASIRT, however the RCMP still control the investigation involving the man.
The RCMP have not released any information about pressing charges against the man.
ASIRT investigates incidents involving Alberta law enforcement agencies that result in serious injury or death, as well as serious or sensitive allegations of police misconduct.