The New Brunswick RCMP’s response to an incident involving someone in mental distress has prompted an investigation by Nova Scotia’s independent police watchdog.
Cpl. Hans Ouellette said in a release on Thursday that the New Brunswick RCMP had requested the investigation by the Nova Scotia Serious Incident Response Team.
Western Valley Region RCMP responded at around 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 8 following a report of a person in mental distress at a health care facility in the Waterville area.
“During the response, the individual became aggressive with police and an altercation ensued,” said Ouellette in a news release.
“The individual then attempted to flee from police and sustained self-inflicted injuries as a result.”
Police say first responders treated the individual for their injuries before being taken into police custody.
Ouellette said the RCMP is committed to accountability and transparency to the communities it serves.
“Due to the seriousness of this incident, we have requested SIRT review our actions to ensure we did everything we could in our response,” he said.