Fredericton police officer charged with assault
Last Updated: Friday, August 25, 2006 | 5:36 PM AT
CBC News
A Fredericton police officer was charged Friday with assaulting a man at a political rally in front of city hall last May.
The charge against Cpl. Dwight Doyle comes after an independent investigation into the allegation by Asaf Rashid, 30, that he was a victim of discrimination and mistreatment because he is of Pakistani descent.
Rashid didn't expect his concerns would be addressed when he filed the complaint against Doyle.
"Maybe [I] ate some of my words from before," said Rashid. "I wasn't too optimistic, but something's happened."
Rashid was one of four people arrested May 27, but alleges he was the only one mistreated during the incident. He claims it was because of his ethnic background.
Rally intended to raise awareness of refugees
The rally was intended to raise awareness of refugees. Rashid was among approximately 20 people handing out pamphlets in front of city hall when the police asked the group to leave.
Rashid confronted the officers, asking a series of questions and demanding an officer's badge number. Rashid was then pinned to the ground and issued a $50 ticket for failing to disperse.
Fredericton police Chief Barry McKnight asked the Saint John police force to conduct an independent investigation into the complaint, which led to the charge against Doyle, a 13-year veteran of the force.
Rashid says that's good news for people who believe in freedom of _expression, but are concerned about attending rallies and protests for fear of arrest or harassment.
"I'm just hoping that this sends a message that everyone has to be accountable for their actions ... including myself," he said.
Officer will remain on duty
Doyle will appear in court on the assault charge in October. In the meantime, McKnight said the officer will remain on active duty.
McKnight said the force will not comment further now that the case is before the court.
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