RCMP officer in video of rough arrest at Stephenville charged with assault

An RCMP officer has been charged with assault following an investigation into an incident at Stephenville Dymond International Airport in June.

Newfoundland and Labrador's Serious Incident Response Team said it has received notification of "an alleged offence from the RCMP" andlaunched an investigation after a video surfaced at the timeshowing police officers pushing a man into the side of a police vehicle.

The passenger was aboard a Delta Airlines flight from Paris to Detroit that had to make an emergency landing for what the airline called an "unruly passenger."

In a press release on Tuesday, SIRT-NL director Michael King said the officer charged with assault isConst. Jeffrey Cormier.

Cormier is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 22.

The passengerwascharged with unlawfully engaging in behaviour that endangers safety by interfering with duty of crew and unlawfully engaging in behaviour that endangers safety by lessening ability of crew to perform duty.

SIRT-NL said itwon't comment further on the matter since it's now before the courts.

SIRT-NL is a civilian-led oversight agency that conducts its own investigations into serious incidents involving police officers in Newfoundland and Labrador.

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