The civilian watchdog that investigates police conduct is not recommending criminal charges against a member of the Ridge Meadows RCMP who broke a suspect's arm during an arrest last summer.
The suspect was a shoplifter who dropped his stolen merchandise as he ran from police, but refused to stop when the officer ordered, in an incident that happened on Aug. 12, 2024. The thief was injured as he was taken to the ground.
Jessica Berglund, civilian director of the Independent Investigations Office, released the decision on May 28.
The man acknowledged to the IIO he had shoplifted from a department store, and a loss prevention officer (LPO) tried to stop him. He ignored the LPO and walked away from the store.
A police officer, who happened to be in the store, then repeatedly told him to stop, but the shoplifter kept walking. He took the item he had stolen out of his backpack and laid it on the ground, apparently expecting that to end the incident.
But the police officer used a "leg sweep," as it was described by the shoplifter, to take the culprit down. He fell to the sidewalk, and felt pain when his arm was taken behind his back for handcuffing. He could not say whether it was injured in the fall, or when his arm was twisted.
The loss prevention officer described the takedown as a "bear hug," that caused the shoplifter to fall to the ground, with the RCMP officer on top of him.
A police officer who witnessed the arrest described the officer taking the shoplifter to the ground using what he called an "arm bar."
Another officer told investigators he did not witness any wrenching of the shoplifter's arm.
Once the shoplifter was in cells, he complained of pain in his shoulder, and an ambulance was called.
There was no injury noted in the prisoner report when the shoplifter was booked into police cells, but video from the detachment shows he had difficulty using his right arm, and it appeared to be in pain.
The shoplifter was diagnosed with a fracture of his right arm, which was surgically repaired.
The IIO found the officer acted lawfully, and used a "reasonably necessary degree of force."
"When the affected person failed to stop, and then began to run, the subject officer was left with little choice but to lay hands on him and overpower him, so he could be taken into custody," said the report.
It said it was unfortunate the shoplifter was injured, "but there is no evidence that the force used by the officer was unnecessary, excessive or unreasonable."
The IIO investigates incidents that results in death or serious physical harm involving police actions. In this case, the IIO interviewed the shoplifter, two civilian witnesses to the incident, and three witness police officers. The investigator also reviewed audio recordings of police communications, security camera footage from businesses and the RCMP cell block, and medical evidence. The officer who was the subject of the investigation did not offer his account, and is not required to.
