Unpacking the Mystery: ASIRT Steps In After Handcuffed Woman Injured at RCMP Detachment

It’s never a simple matter when someone gets hurt while in police custody, and that's precisely why the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, better known as ASIRT, has been called in. They’re currently looking into an incident that occurred at the Gleichen RCMP detachment where a woman, who was already handcuffed, sustained an injury to her hand.

The story begins in the early hours of Saturday, April 13, 2024. Around 1:40 AM, a 31-year-old woman found herself under arrest near Cluny, Alberta. The reason? A handful of outstanding warrants. She was subsequently transported to the Gleichen RCMP detachment for processing, a routine procedure, or so it seemed.

Once at the detachment, things took an unexpected turn. While the woman was being processed and held in a cell, still handcuffed, an injury to her hand was discovered. Now, the precise moment or manner of this injury is exactly what ASIRT aims to unravel. As you can imagine, questions immediately arise when such an event occurs under police watch.

Following the discovery, the woman was promptly taken to a local hospital where she received medical attention for her injury. Thankfully, after being treated, she was released from custody. The immediate focus, of course, was on her well-being, but the underlying questions about how she got hurt remained.

It wasn't until Wednesday, April 17, that the acting director of law enforcement with the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service officially directed ASIRT to take over the investigation. This move underscores the seriousness of the situation, as ASIRT's mandate is specifically to investigate incidents involving police that result in serious injury or death, or allegations of serious misconduct.

Their task now is a thorough one: to meticulously examine the circumstances surrounding this woman's hand injury. They'll be looking into the actions of the police officers involved and determining whether those actions were lawful and appropriate, ultimately piecing together exactly what transpired during those critical hours. It’s a process that demands transparency and careful scrutiny, ensuring accountability where it's due.