SYDNEY, N.S. -- Nova Scotia's independent police watchdog agency is investigating an allegation that Cape Breton Regional Police officers assaulted a person during an arrest.
The Serious Incident Response Team, or SIRT, says in a news release issued today the incident goes back to an arrest on Aug. 29 last year.
However, the investigators say SIRT was only contacted about it on Feb. 1 by the Cape Breton police, after the Sydney-based force received a letter from a third party saying the person involved had suffered serious injuries during his arrest.
The agency says it launched a preliminary investigation, but due to the pandemic officers were unable to speak to the affected person until March 30.
The team can independently launch an investigation or begin one after a referral from a chief of police, the head of the RCMP in Nova Scotia or the justice minister.
The director is expected to file a public report summarizing the findings within three months of the investigation's completion.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 19, 2021.
