An RCMP officer in northern Alberta has been charged with assault with a weapon following an investigation by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team into an incident that occurred in Valleyview in 2023.ASIRT announced Thursday that Const. Ovidiu Haynes was arrested on Wednesday and charged with one count of assault with a weapon under section 267(a) of the Criminal Code.The charge stems from an incident on Nov. 10, 2023, involving the Valleyview RCMP. ASIRT was directed to investigate the matter 12 days later, on Nov. 22, 2023.After completing its investigation, ASIRT concluded there were reasonable grounds to believe a criminal offence had been committed.As required under Alberta's Police Act, investigators forwarded the file to the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service for an independent assessment of whether the evidence met the standard for prosecution.Following that review, ASIRT Acting Executive Director Matthew Block determined the charge should proceed under authority delegated by the chief executive officer of the Police Review Commission.Haynes was released from custody on conditions and is scheduled to make his first court appearance on Aug. 6 at the Valleyview Court of Justice.ASIRT said no further details about the alleged offence will be released because the matter is now before the courts.Questions regarding the officer's employment status or any disciplinary proceedings under Alberta's Police Act have been referred to the RCMP.ASIRT, which operates as part of the Police Review Commission, is an independent civilian-led agency responsible for investigating potential criminal offences involving police officers across Alberta, including incidents involving serious injury or death.
