2 N.B. Mounties investigated for alleged interference in impaired driving case

Two RCMP officers in New Brunswick are under investigation by a police watchdog agency. 

The Serious Incident Response Team announced its investigation in a news release Wednesday. 

The agency said that in February a New Brunswick Department of Public Safety officer arrested a man for impaired driving near Henderson Settlement, a rural area about 30 kilometres west of Sussex.

The news release alleges that on June 18, RCMP learned that a Mountie from the Sussex detachment "was believed to be using their role as an RCMP officer to influence the outcome of the investigation."

The news release says the man arrested for impaired driving and the officer knew each other, but doesn't say how. 

The news release says a second officer from the Caledonia detachment, located in Riverview, "is also alleged to have attempted to influence the outcome of the investigation."

The news release doesn't say whether the second officer knew the man who was arrested. It also doesn't explain how either officer attempted to influence the investigation. SIRT didn't provide an interview.

The news release says RCMP contacted SIRT on June 19.

"Due to the seriousness of the allegations and in the public interest, SIRT has assumed responsibility for this investigation," the news release states. 

The officers weren't named by SIRT.

The news release says the agency is investigating "possible breach of trust" related to interference into the impaired driving case. Breach of trust is a Criminal Code of Canada charge that, if a person is convicted, can result in a prison term of up to 14 years. 

The agency investigates matters involving deaths, serious injuries, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, or other matters of a public interest that may have resulted from the actions of any police officer in New Brunswick. 

SIRT's director determines whether charges are warranted.

The New Brunswick RCMP did not provide an interview about the SIRT investigation, with a spokesperson saying in an email that it would be "inappropriate" to do so.

Cpl. Hans Ouellette said in the email that the two officers remain on duty in their roles.

"As the employer, the RCMP will proceed with appropriate actions pending the outcome of the independent investigation," Ouellette wrote.