The New Brunswick RCMP is requesting that an independent agency review the actions of its members after a mentally challenged man was shot in St. Stephen, NB.
In a statement, police said the incident took place early in the morning on September 16.
Members of the RCMP responded to a report of a mentally challenged person with a weapon outside a home on Ross Avenue.
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“When the police arrived at the scene, they were confronted by a man armed with a machete,” said the RCMP.
According to police, the man refused to drop the gun when told to do so and headed towards the police. It was then that a member of the RCMP shot the individual.
The man was taken to hospital with a gunshot wound. No one else was injured.
“The use of force is never an action taken lightly. … We are committed to being accountable and transparent with the communities we serve about policing, ”said Cpl. Hans Ouellette of the RCMP of New Brunswick.
“That is why it is standard practice for the New Brunswick RCMP to seek an independent agency to review our actions when there are serious incidents involving our police officers,” he added.
Members involved in the incident have been offered support services and assigned administrative duties pending the outcome of the review.
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