ARCHIVED - Chair-Initiated Public Complaint and Public Interest Investigation Subduing of Teenage Female Inuvik, NWT

Subject: Use of Conducted Energy Weapon on a teenage female at the Arctic Tern Young Offenders Facility in Inuvik, Northwest Territories in March 2007

Date: November 28, 2008

File No.: 2008-3149

As Chair of the Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMP, I am initiating a complaint into (a) the conduct of those unidentified RCMP members present at, or engaged in, the apparent subduing of a teenage female at the Arctic Tern Young Offenders Facility in Inuvik, Northwest Territories by the use of a conducted energy weapon (CEW) in March 2007 and (b) the conduct of those unidentified RCMP members who conducted the subsequent criminal investigation into the incident.

Given the ongoing expressions of public concern as they relate to (a) the degree and type of force required by police officers when subduing individuals and, as in this case, the specific concerns raised in respect of the use of CEWs, including related policy, procedures and guidelines for deployment; and (b) the propriety of RCMP members investigating other RCMP members, especially in cases of this nature, I am satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to investigate the conduct of all members involved in this incident and in the subsequent criminal investigation.

Accordingly, pursuant to subsection 45.37(1) of the RCMP Act, I am today initiating a complaint into the conduct of all RCMP members involved in this incident, specifically

1. whether the RCMP members involved in the events in March 2007 in Inuvik, Northwest Territories, where a teenage female was allegedly subdued with the use of a conducted energy weapon, complied with all appropriate policies, procedures, guidelines and statutory requirements;
2. whether existing RCMP policies, procedures and guidelines applicable to such an incident are adequate;
3. whether the RCMP members involved in the investigation of this incident conducted an investigation that was adequate, and free of actual or perceived conflict of interest, whether they responded appropriately and proportionately to the gravity of the incident, whether they responded in a timely fashion and whether their conduct adhered to the standards set out in section 37 of the RCMP Act; and
4. whether existing RCMP policies, procedures and guidelines are adequate to ensure that fair, effective, thorough and impartial investigations are carried out by RCMP members when investigating fellow RCMP members.

Furthermore, I am instituting a public interest investigation into this complaint, pursuant to subsection 45.43(1) of the RCMP Act.