The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has concluded an investigation into an altercation involving a Wetaskiwin RCMP member.
On Sept. 2, 2020, RCMP arrested a suspect and brought him into cells in Wetaskiwin.
When an officer entered the cell the next day to speak to the suspect about their charges, they attempted to leave.
An altercation occurred between the officer and the suspect before additional officers entered the cell and handcuffed the suspect.
“When the affected person started to leave, it was reasonable to push him back and, after the affected person struck his arm, it was reasonable to escalate to hitting him once,” ASIRT’s report said. “The minor uses of force were proportionate, necessary, and reasonable.”
ASIRT’s investigation concluded that the officer was required to prevent the suspect from trying to leave the cell, and the use of force was justified.