Newfoundland RCMP officer charged with assault after airport altercation

Newfoundland and Labrador's police watchdog agency says it has charged an RCMP officer with assault. An RCMP logo is seen during a news conference, Saturday, June 24, 2023 in St. John’s. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - Newfoundland and Labrador's police watchdog agency says it has charged an RCMP officer with assault.

The province's serious incident response team, known as SIRT-NL, says the charge stems from its investigation into a June 2 incident at the airport in Stephenville, in western Newfoundland.

A news release says Const. Jeffrey Cormier is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 22.

On June 8, SIRT-NL said it was investigating "a potential serious incident" that occurred when RCMP officers removed someone from a plane at the airport.

The agency has provided few details, but a widely shared video posted to social media on June 2 appears to show three police officers leading a man off a plane at the airport, and then slamming his head into an RCMP vehicle.

The police watchdog says the RCMP asked it to investigate the alleged assault on June 7.

This report by ´ºÉ«Ö±²¥was first published Nov. 28, 2023.

The ´ºÉ«Ö±²¥ Press. All rights reserved.

More Atlantic Stories

Altantic News Today newsletter keeps you updated on the latest stories from Eastern Canada.

Free newsletter. Sent Monday to Friday.