RCMP relief officer in Nunavut faces three charges including assault and theft

An RCMP officer stationed in Ottawa is facing three charges related to his time as a relief officer in Kimmirut, Nunavut, in the summer of 2020.

Ira Tarleton has been charged with assault causing bodily harm, theft under $5,000 and mischief under $5,000.

RCMP say the charges stem from an incident where Tarleton responded to a call for service in the community.

A news release from the RCMP does not describe what happened and says no further information will be released at this time.

Kimmirut is a community of about 400 people in the south on Baffin Island, which is about 120 kilometres from Iqaluit.

Chief Supt. Amanda Jones, who leads the Nunavut RCMP, says the charges are serious and the allegations don’t represent the individual conduct of officers.

“The conduct of police officers is paramount in maintaining the trust of the communities they serve … These allegations do not reflect the integrity of our individual members nor do they represent what we stand for as a police service,” Jones said in the news release.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2021

The Canadian Press