Smiths Falls Police implement recommended safety measures following external review
SMITHS FALLS — Smiths Falls Police Chief Jodi Empy says an external investigation by the Cornwall Police Service has found no wrongdoing by two Smiths Falls officers involved in a June 7 arrest that drew widespread attention this summer.
The incident, captured on multiple cameras and shared online, showed a woman in handcuffs being dragged from the back of a police cruiser by two officers before being restrained on the ground.
At the Oct. 21 Police Services Board meeting, Empy outlined the results of the review and the steps taken since the incident.
Empy told the board she considered it a conflict of interest to investigate her own officers, so she referred the matter to Cornwall Police for a full, independent review.
Cornwall investigators were given access to all available footage, including in-car video, security video from a nearby business and police body-camera footage from a female officer who was at the scene.
Because the case is still before the courts, Empy said she could not discuss case specifics, but she confirmed that the full internal report was shared with the board.
Empy said she reviewed the findings with the deputy chief and the service’s use-of-force instructors.
According to the chief, Cornwall Police concluded the officers “did not conduct themselves in any wrongdoing” and that the force used was “necessary and justified to prevent being assaulted further.”
Cornwall’s review included two recommendations, one of which Empy highlighted at the meeting: the purchase and use of spit hoods.
Empey presented the mesh-like white hoods to the board members, noting that they are commonly used across Ontario. She said the hoods fit over a person’s head and allow them to breathe while preventing spit from reaching officers or others in close proximity.
Empy told the board that officers can face real risks during arrests.
She said she has been spit on several times in her career and had to undergo hepatitis vaccinations as a result. She also described a past incident where an officer required antibiotics after exposure to blood from a person who was HIV-positive.
While the criminal case involving the woman arrested on June 7 continues, Empy said the internal review process is complete.
“I support my officers in this incident,” she told the board.
Smiths Falls police have now adopted the spit hoods as advised, with a policy in place for their use.
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