Cape Breton police officer won't be charged after man seriously injured during arrest: SiRT

The SiRT logo is seen in an undated file photo.

Nova Scotia’s police watchdog says a Cape Breton Regional Police officer will not be charged after a man was seriously injured during an arrest in July.

According to the Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT), members of the Cape Breton Regional Police were surveilling a man who had a firearm and was arrestable for previous offences on July 22.

Police saw the man driving a blue vehicle with a female passenger. When the driver pulled onto a dead-end street, police activated their emergency lights and tried to stop the vehicle.

SiRT says the man tried to flee while the passenger, who had exited the vehicle, was hanging onto the open driver’s door, trying to get the driver to stop.

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When officers approached the vehicle, SiRT says the man did not comply with demands and revved the engine.

Police saw objects in the vehicle that could be used as weapons, including a baseball bat.

“In order to gain control, the Subject Officer delivered multiple strikes to the male’s body and face. When he was taken into custody moments later, a replica firearm was found in his waistband,” reads SiRT’s report.

Police took the man to hospital, where he was treated for multiple fractures to his face, before being released back to police custody.

SiRT says it received a referral from Cape Breton Regional Police regarding the incident two days after it happened.

Following a review of the evidence, SiRT’s report says it found no reasonable grounds to believe the officer committed a criminal offence in connection with the arrest.

SiRT is response for investigating all serious incidents involving police in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, whether or not there is an allegation of wrongdoing.

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.