Nova Scotia's Serious Incident Response Team said late Tuesday afternoon that it will investigate the arrest of a 23-old woman by Halifax police officers in a Walmart store last Wednesday.
Santina Rao alleges that police told her they believed she was shoplifting, which she denied.
She said when she protested angrily and loudly an officer said they could arrest her for disturbing the peace.
When an officer grabbed her arm to detain her, she said she tried to push him away and scratched his face before other officers stepped in and put her on the floor to subdue her.
She said she suffered a black eye and swollen wrist in the incident.
Update from ER: I have a concussion, swollen ligature marks on my neck and arms and back. My left wrist is also broken, NOT fractured, and in a splint.
Posted by Santina Rao on Thursday, January 16, 2020
Police said in a news release last week that officers responded to a theft in progress complaint at the Mumford Road Walmart and approached a woman who was believed to have concealed items.
The release said the suspect became verbally abusive and was behaving aggressively, resisting arrest and assaulting one of the officers when they tried to place her under arrest for causing a disturbance.
The officer was taken to hospital for treatment and later released.
Halifax police referred the incident to SIRT, an independent agency that investigates incidents involving police that result in injuries.
“After some initial investigation, it has been determined, based on medical records, the matter meets SiRT’s mandate,” SiRT interim director Pat Curran said in a release.
He said investigators want anyone who may have witnessed the incident to please contact them with any information they may have.
Curran said he wouldn't be commenting further until the investigation is done.
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