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RCMP officer charged with assault in relation to violent 2021 Campbellton, N.B., arrest

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An RCMP officer has been charged following an investigation by Quebec's police watchdog into a violent arrest in Campbellton, N.B., last summer.

Part of the arrest was captured in a video posted on social media.

Pierrick Caron was charged with assault on June 30, according to a release from the Department of Justice and Public Safety Wednesday.

Quebec's police watchdog, Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes, says there were grounds for criminal charges in connection with an arrest in July 2021 in Campbellton.

"Evidence gathered during the investigation provided reasonable grounds to believe that an offence had been committed," read a release from the department. "The bureau’s report was submitted to Public Prosecution Services, which determined that the evidence met the standard for prosecution."

Caron is scheduled to appear in Campbellton provincial court on July 25.

The charge against Caron has not been tested in court.

THE ARREST

On July 2, 2021, police responded to reports of a man wielding a stick while entering local businesses in Campbellton's downtown.

According to New Brunswick RCMP Sgt. Mario Maillet, when officers arrived, the man resisted arrest and an altercation ensued.

Part of the altercation and arrest was posted to social media appearing to show a police officer repeatedly striking the man, while an unidentified civilian holds down his legs.

Andre Mercier, 30, was arrested on July 2, 2021. He appeared in Campbellton Courthouse via video conference on July 5, 2021, and was charged with breach of probation.

Mercier was released from custody and is scheduled to return to court on Aug. 16, 2022.

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