Richard Gleeson
Northern News Services

IQALUIT (Jun 28/99) - A man who says he was assaulted by an Iqaluit police officer in March is asking the RCMP public complaints commission to review the criminal investigation that cleared the officer of any criminal charges.

Mathew Petooloosie filed the complaint Thursday through his lawyer, Euan MacKay. MacKay said his client will also proceed with a civil action, but said that lawsuit is still in the works.

"...(Mathew Petooloosie) is not satisfied with both the criminal and internal or administrative investigations that have been conducted and concluded," wrote MacKay in a June 24 letter to the commission.

Petooloosie has alleged he was brutalized by Cpl. Colin Allooloo after being taken to Iqaluit RCMP cells in the early morning of March 2.

Petooloosie vomited blood and was left unconscious on the cell floor. He was released the next morning after, he said, being forced to clean his blood from the floor of the cell. Later that day, Petooloosie went to the hospital, where he was treated for a ruptured bladder.

In his letter to the commission, MacKay pointed out that the report on the criminal investigation noted Allooloo had used a "knee technique" (ie. kneed Petooloosie in the mid-section) as the prisoner was being put in his cell to get Petooloosie to release his grip on the officer's arms.

The criminal investigation was conducted by members of the Yellowknife RCMP detachment. The report on the investigation was forwarded to the Manitoba minister of Justice, who concluded there was no basis for charging Allooloo.

"Civil papers will be served very soon, but we haven't finalized the details," said MacKay.

The complaint will be reviewed by Public Complaints Commission chairperson Shirley Heafey.

Heafey can make one of three determinations on the complaint, explained commission director Charlie Gregor -- require that more information be gathered, make a determination on the complaint or, in rare circumstances, call for a public hearing.

The commission, noted Gregor, is an advisory body, and has no power to compel the RCMP to lay charges.