Mountie cleared in pepper-spraying of aboriginal group that included baby

National Post

Canwest News Service Published: Saturday, June 28, 2008

The RCMP officer who pepper-sprayed a group of aboriginals, including a seventh-month-old baby, celebrating a soccer game win on the Sechelt, B. C., reserve last July has been cleared of wrongdoing, an internal RCMP investigation has concluded. First Nations Summit grand chief Edward John, an independent observer during the investigation into the July 2, 2007, incident confirmed that the 89-page report absolved the RCMP of four allegations -- including improper use of force, improper attitude, irregularity in procedure and a driving irregularity. The issue came out in a public complaint launched by the Sechelt First Nation band following an incident involving pepper-spray being released into a crowd that included children and a baby in the back of a pickup truck. The police detachment have since issued a written apology for the incident.