N.S. RCMP officer charged with assaulting woman, placed on administrative duties

Nova Scotia’s police watchdog has charged an RCMP officer with assault.

The Serious Incident Response Team (SiRT) says it has “reasonable and probable grounds” to believe Const. Reece Smith assaulted a woman known to him while he was off-duty last month.

SiRT alleges the incident happened on Dec. 20, 2024. The Bridgewater Police Service referred the matter to SiRT two days later.

Following an investigation, SiRT charged Smith with assault on Friday.

Smith is due to appear in Nova Scotia provincial court in Bridgewater on Feb. 19.

“As the matter is before the courts, and in consideration of the fair trial interests of the accused, SiRT will not provide further comment on the investigation,” said Khalehla Perrault, a spokesperson for SiRT, in a news release Friday.

Smith on administrative duties

The RCMP released a statement Friday, confirming Smith has been an RCMP officer since February 2024.

The RCMP says Smith has been placed on administrative duties while it conducts an internal code of conduct investigation. Police say Smith’s status will be “continuously assessed” while the internal investigation is ongoing and the case moves through the court system.

“This criminal charge is disconcerting, and undoubtedly alarming to those we serve,” said Chief Supt. Dan Morrow, criminal operations officer for the Nova Scotia RCMP, in the statement.

“The RCMP takes all allegations of misconduct seriously; our employees are expected to conduct themselves in a manner that not only meets, but exceeds, the rightfully high expectations of Canadians.”

SiRT is responsible for investigating all serious incidents involving police in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

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