An investigation by the Serious Incident Response Team involving the Miramichi Police Force has been escalated to the RCMP.
According to a press release, the investigation stemmed from the death of an adult male who had been arrested by Miramichi Police officers and placed in cells overnight.
SiRT was notified of the incident last year, on Aug. 4 by the Miramichi Police Force.
According to a report by SiRT director Erin Nauss, upon receiving the notification of the man’s passing, SiRT attended and took control of the scene.
Several steps were taken during the course of the investigation, including, but not limited to, obtaining records from the police agency, video footage of police cells and body worn camera footage, witness statements, and attending an autopsy and obtaining/reviewing the relevant medical reports.
Considerations were given to the relevant sections of the Criminal Code, specifically sections 215, 219, and 220
Upon completion of the investigation, Nauss found no reasonable grounds to believe members of the Miramichi Police had committed a criminal offence in connection with the death.
“Upon review of the evidence, I’m satisfied that the actions or inactions of police officers did not contribute to the death of the AP (affected party) and were not criminal in nature,” she said.
However, Nauss did identify concerns with the actions involving other individuals — which were not identified in the release — that fall outside SiRT jurisdicton.
As a result, the SiRT forwarded the file to the RCMP for further investigation.
Nauss noted that the SRiT report does not outline specific facts and evidence form the case as the investigation is still ongoing with the RCMP.
She added that the SRiT may issue a supplemental report on a later date depending on the outcome of the RCMP investigation.
