Red Deer RCMP officers in a viral video acted within the scope of their duties.
A two-part video that was widely shared and circulated online last month showed Red Deer RCMP using aggressive tactics to arrest a man who was resisting arrest and obstructing – in the lead up to the arrest, an officer pulled the driver over to investigate the ownership of the vehicle.
The couple in the vehicle questioned the officer as to why he was speeding, without his lights on, while the two vehicles stopped at a traffic light.
RCMP previously indicated that the officer was responding to a high-priority call when the encounter started with the two individuals. RCMP said in a statement that officers may respond to calls without their lights on for several reasons, at their discretion.
“The use of lights and sirens is also dependent on the type of call. In some cases, the sound of sirens can be reassuring (i.e. a traffic accident – help is on its way). In another, announcing your arrival may be a detriment to the situation,” RCMP said in an email.
A spokesperson also indicated that the officer was acting within the scope of his duties to confirm the registered owner of the vehicle when he did pull the couple over.
Obstruction charges against the couple have still not been confirmed.