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Judge acquits RCMP officer who punched man at a bar in northern Manitoba
January 20, 2023 By The Canadian Press
Jan. 20, 2023, Thompson, Man. – A judge has acquitted an RCMP officer who punched a man while leaving a bar in northern Manitoba.
Court of King’s Bench Justice David Kroft says the Crown did not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the force used by Const. Jeremiah Dumont-Fontaine was unjustified.
The officer was called to the bar in Thompson, Man., in June 2019 by staff who said a man was causing a disturbance.
Court was told the officer escorted Brian Halcrow outside, Halcrow threw his baseball cap at the officer, and the officer responded by punching Halcrow in the head and causing a severe cut.
Manitoba’s Independent Investigation Unit took on the case and Dumont-Fontaine was charged with assault causing bodily harm.
The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs raised concerns about the case, saying it was the latest in a series involving Indigenous people being mistreated by police.
Halcrow was charged with assault and causing a disturbance, and took his own life several months later.
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