Charges aren’t being recommended against a Calgary police officer after an incident that saw an autistic child suffer a fractured skull. But Alberta’s police watchdog says it found “reasonable grounds to believe an offence had been committed.” The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) issued its findings on the August 2018 incident on Wednesday. According to ASIRT, two officers attended a home where a 12-year-old boy with autism had reportedly become “uncontrollable.” ASIRT says the boy’s parents called police to have him taken to the Alberta Children’s Hospital. ASIRT says when coaxing failed, the officers ended up taking the boy outside to their vehicle by force, with his parents in tow. During a struggle, ASIRT says one of the officers—the only one holding onto the boy at the time—“took (him) to the ground.” The boy struck his head. Medical records show the boy “was diagnosed with a basal skull fracture.” “Surgery was not required,” the findings state. “He was treated with Tylenol and Advil for pain management. “(The boy) was medically cleared by both the emergency department and the neurosurgery service.” ASIRT interviewed the boy, his parents, neighbours and the other officer at the scene. The officer who “took (the boy) to the ground” declined to be interviewed by ASIRT. CCTV footage of the incident, from a neighbouring home, was also reviewed by ASIRT. ASIRT says the officer who “took (the boy) to the ground” was heard at the time stating he fell. The officer’s partner said he, “from the corner of his eye, saw (the boy) go over (the officer’s) knee” and that both “then fell to the ground.” “He heard the (the boy’s) head strike the pavement,” the findings state. “He described the sound as an awful crack. He saw that (the officer) still had hold of both of (the boy’s) arms and that (the officer’s) leg was positioned between (the boy’s) legs while they were on the ground.” ASIRT says the boy stated he was pushed. ASIRT says both parents believe the takedown was deliberate and unwarranted, ASIRT says. Ultimately, ASIRT agreed. “(The officer) was dealing with a 12-year-old child and brought him forcefully down to pavement,” the findings state. “An injury is predictable when you bring someone down to pavement forcefully and the head is a very likely spot for this injury. “All blows to the head risk serious injury. “Another officer was present and only a metre away if (the officer) required assistance.” ASIRT referred the matter to the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, finding “reasonable grounds to believe that an offence had been committed.” The Crown “recommended no charges.” ASIRT notes it and the Crown have different standards. It says it “applies a Criminal Code standard that determines whether reasonable grounds exist.” It says the Crown “applies a standard which examines whether there is a reasonable likelihood of conviction arising out of the evidence, and whether it is in the public interest to proceed with a prosecution.”
