SiRT recommends charges following investigation of incident in Richmond Corner
A Woodstock RCMP officer will face charges of aggravated assault following an investigation by SiRT, the Serious Incident Response Team.
In a media release, SiRT said Cpl. Andrew Whiteway will appear before the New Brunswick provincial court in Woodstock on Oct. 2 at 9:30 a.m. to face charges related to an incident in Richmond Corner.
SiRT director Erin Nauss said the investigative team has reasonable and probable grounds to believe that an RCMP officer committed a criminal offence.
The release said the SiRT received a referral regarding a female who was struck in the face in the course of an arrest on June 13, 2024, in Richmond Corner.
The SiRT began an investigation into the matter that day, leading to the charges against Whiteway on Sept. 9. He faces a charge of aggravated assault contrary to s. 268 of the Criminal Code.
The SiRT is responsible for investigating all matters that involve death, serious injury, sexual assault, intimate partner violence or other matters of public interest that may have arisen from the actions of any police officer in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Investigations are under the direction and control of an independent civilian director, who has the sole authority to determine if charges should be laid at the conclusion of an investigation.