Achi news desk-
The Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) is investigating a case of possible excessive force involving police and a youth in a cell in Nova Scotia two months ago.
According to a SiRT news release, West Hants RCMP officers arrested a “vulnerable juvenile female” on March 8. Police say there was a struggle between two officers and the juvenile while placing her in the cells.
The statement says that the youth hit an officer and an officer hit the youth several times.
The RCMP and the Department of Community Services independently contacted SiRT regarding the incident on Friday.
SiRT investigates all matters involving death, intimate partner violence, sexual assault and serious injury that may be related to the actions of police officers in Nova Scotia or New Brunswick.
In a separate news release, RCMP superintendent Dan Morrow, Nova Southwest District police officer, said they are taking the allegation “seriously” and are cooperating fully with SiRT.
“The member has been placed on administrative duties and we have initiated an internal code of conduct investigation,” Morrow said in the statement. “The member’s duty status will be reassessed on the outcome of SiRT’s independent investigation and the code of conduct investigation.”
