The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has concluded that two RCMP officers used reasonable force during the arrest of a pregnant woman in Cowley in March 2024. The woman had alleged that the arrest led to a miscarriage, but ASIRT found no evidence to support criminal charges.
Incident Details
On March 23, 2024, just before midnight, RCMP officers responded to a report of suspicious persons near Highway 3 in Cowley, a village approximately 160 kilometres south of Calgary. Three individuals were seen walking off the highway and entering a farmhouse. The first officer on scene discovered footprints leading to an open window, escalating the call to a break and enter. Additional officers were dispatched.
The woman, who was living with her grandmother at the time, claimed they were fleeing from her grandmother's abusive partner. Her boyfriend and grandmother were arrested, while officers repeatedly ordered the woman to show herself. She eventually emerged from behind a curtain at the top of a four-step staircase leading from the living room to the kitchen but did not comply with instructions to come down.
Arrest and Allegations
One officer grabbed the woman by the shoulder and pulled her down the stairs to the ground, where she was handcuffed by another officer. The woman alleged that she suffered a miscarriage a couple of days later because of being taken to the ground. However, all officers at the scene stated that the woman was brought down in a controlled manner.
The ASIRT report, released Wednesday, noted: "The experience of being pulled down a couple of stairs to the ground would no doubt be unsettling and the landing may not have been particularly delicate; however, that does not mean that her fall was also not controlled." The report added that the woman was "not noted" to have sustained any injuries from the fall.
ASIRT Findings
ASIRT determined that it was "reasonable and necessary" for the officer to grab the woman and pull her down the steps to effect the arrest. The officer stated he grabbed the scruff of her jacket on the right shoulder and guided her down in a controlled descent, holding her on the ground for about 10 seconds while handcuffs were applied. The woman was on the ground for less than a minute before being stood up and escorted outside. The officer denied that the woman indicated any injury, pain, pregnancy, or need for medical assistance.
Based on medical records, the woman visited the Crowsnest Pass Health Centre emergency room on April 30, 2024, over a month after the arrest, with pregnancy concerns. She was estimated to be nearly six weeks pregnant at that time. ASIRT stated it could not determine whether the pregnancy loss was related to the arrest, as the evidence was unclear when the loss occurred, but medical records suggested it happened after April 30, 2024.
ASIRT concluded there were no reasonable grounds to believe an offence had been committed by the two officers, clearing them of any wrongdoing.
