Nova Scotia's Serious Incident Response Team has appointed Tony Smith to the role of observer for the investigation into the Halifax Regional Police force's arrest of Santina Rao.
Smith was co-chair of the recently completed restorative inquiry into the Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children.
SiRT announced on Thursday that the team would take on a civilian African Nova Scotian to help with the investigation of officers involved in a physical altercation with the young black mother at Mumford Road Walmart last month.