Saskatchewan RCMP issued a news release Tuesday regarding arrest videos being shared online, saying they have begun a review of the incidents shown.
RCMP said, “There are two videos being shared on social media showing two different arrests made by the same RCMP officer in Pelican Narrows during the early morning hours of June 30, 2019.”
The police officer was responding to calls involving weapons in both of these incidents.
RCMP added, “We are aware of a third incident the same morning including this officer responding to a call involving a weapon. It is also under review.”
Anyone with videos of these events is encouraged to contact any RCMP detachment, says the release.
In the videos seen online, the police officer has a firearm drawn on the persons being arrested. Very strong language and profanities are being used by the officer, say RCMP.
“The video recordings of the arrests are very short and only capture a few seconds of the exchanges between the persons being arrested and the police officer,” stated the release. “The different aspects of these incidents are being reviewed as part of the RCMP supervisory process, including situational factors, police tactics used and the actions taken by the officer. These incidents will be reviewed in their entirety, including the moments before and after what is shown in the videos.”
A Code of Conduct investigation has been initiated, states the release, and the police officer has been temporarily relocated outside of the community and reassigned to non-frontline work, pending the outcome of the investigation.
Both videos involved weapons. Due to the age of the person being arrested in one of the videos, under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, RCMP cannot confirm the identity of the suspect. A machete was seized during this incident.
In another video, the persons being arrested are currently under investigation.
“The RCMP takes these matters seriously, stated the release. “The RCMP has been in contact with local community leaders and will be making them aware of the results of the review and investigation as well as any actions taken by the RCMP with regards to the officer involved.”
