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Police watchdog will investigate April 8 arrest in Whitehorse

Yukon RCMP vague on situation and injuries
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The logo for Alberta Serious Incident Response Team. The team has been contracted by the Yukon government to investigate injuries caused by police use of force on April 8 in Whitehorse. (Black Press photo)

Police watchdog will investigate April 8 arrest in Whitehorse

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT), the organization contracted by the Yukon government with investigating injuries caused by police use of force in the territory, is looking into an April 8 incident in Whitehorse.

ASIRT has not issued any information besides confirming it is investigating via a tweet. The Yukon RCMP issued an April 27 statement saying that Whitehorse RCMP officers had been called to assist paramedics responding to a call about intoxicated people downtown on April 8.

Police say officers arrested one person.

“After the arrest, police found that the person had an injury and immediately contacted Yukon EMS again for assessment,” the statement reads.

The RCMP say they are cooperating with ASIRT’s investigation and have also launched an internal review.

“RCMP training, policy, police response and the duty status of the members involved will be subject to review,” the April 27 notice reads.

Police provided few details about who had been injured or the nature of the injuries but in a recently-published APTN report, the mother of a 17-year-old girl alleges that her daughter suffered serious knee injuries, some that would require surgery, while being arrested by RCMP officers in downtown Whitehorse on April 8.

(Jim Elliot)



Jim Elliot

About the Author: Jim Elliot

I’m a B.C. transplant here in Whitehorse at The News telling stories about the Yukon's people, environment, and culture.
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