At least eight police officers turn up at accused officer’s house in the early hours of the morning
The Lavins and their three children, all under the age of 11, were fast asleep on the morning of Wednesday, October 7 when eight to ten police officers turned up at their Cape Breton home in Nova Scotia, Canada.
The team of officers of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were carrying assault rifles, which scared the kids.
They had arrest warrants for a fellow officer who was accused of identity fraud.
Although his details have not been released by the department, Nova Scotia Government Employees Union has identified him as 39-year-old Wade Lavin.
The union’s President Jerry Jessome says she is concerned that the RCMP officers were too aggressive given the nature of the accused man’s charges.
“The family has been terrorized,” she added.
Jessome also pointed out that it could be related to the department allowing managers to drive unmarked cars in the absence of enough labeled vehicles – an issue the union had complained about several times.
She also adds that because the officers were not looking for guns and drugs, the intensity of the operation was disproportionate.
“This was an arrest and there’s been no charges laid yet, so we still feel very strongly that it’s excessive,” she commented.
The union is now looking for the person who gave the directive and why the officers were so “heavy-handed”.
Earlier reports suggested that prior to Lavin’s arrest, the Mounties had seized electronic devices from another location within the same municipality. They took some more from the accused’s house.
RCMP has made no official comment in regards to the charges. However, a spokesperson pointed out that force used in a search depends on the nature of the risk involved.
“In order to prevent injuries to all parties involved, police may use a number of options when conducting a search. In this case, actions of the RCMP were consistent with this approach.”