By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

Nanaimo RCMP officer cleared of charges after Quarterway Pub incident

Sep 13, 2018 | 2:59 PM

NANAIMO — A Nanaimo RCMP officer won’t face repercussions for using a standard policing technique which led to traumatic brain injuries for the man being arrested.

A decision from the Independent Investigations Office (IIO), released on Thursday, Sept. 13, said the officer used what’s known as the “steel arm bar” technique to arrest a man outside the Quarterway Pub for public intoxication on Aug. 3, 2017.

The decision explained the specific arresting technique was used because the suspect was “getting angry and was strong enough to resist,” including not placing his hands behind his back.

During the arrest, the suspect fell against the wall of the pub and was severely injured. The IIO determined he suffered traumatic brain injuries, a broken nose and numerous other injuries.

Testimony from the officer said the suspect was unconscious when he hit the ground.

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“He went down and I heard a smack sound when he hit the ground,” the officer told investigators. “At first I thought OK, it’s knocked the fight out of him…and then I realized he’s not conscious, he’s not responding to me at all…right away I called for an ambulance.”

The IIO said the suspect’s intoxication “likely played a role in him going down awkwardly” and hitting the wall.

The decision also stressed the officer did everything in his power to care for the suspect after he was injured, including using the suspects jacket to cushion his head while in the recovery position and immediately called for aid.

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