Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Fort Smith (June 06/05) - A decision is expected this week on whether a criminal charge will be laid in an alleged case of police brutality in Fort Smith.

In February, a Fort Smith man complained of being roughed up by a police officer in a cell at the RCMP detachment, and an investigation was launched.

The incident was recorded by a video camera in the cell.

The allegation against the officer was made by Russell Sikyea, 21.

Despite repeated attempts, Sikyea could not be reached last week for comment, but he previously outlined his version of events.

Sikyea said when he was in the RCMP cells in early February, a constable tried to convince him to plead guilty to a charge.

A couple of days later, after midnight on Feb. 5, Sikyea said he knocked on the cell door for a guard to bring him a toothbrush, but no one answered.

"I started to get mad," he said, adding he then covered the video camera's lens with toilet paper.

Sikyea said two RCMP officers then came to his cell. One - the constable who had talked to him about the charge - told him to stop messing around or he would be tied up. He recalled responding that he would tell the sergeant that the constable was trying to get him to plead guilty.

Sikyea alleges the constable then slapped him in the head and started to choke him.

"I was mad, but I didn't want to hit him," Sikyea said. "I just held myself back."

Determination received

The results of the investigation into Sikyea's allegations, conducted by RCMP officers from Yellowknife, were sent to the Crown prosecutor's office in Yukon for a recommendation.

"We have received a determination," said Staff Sergeant Bob Gray, District Commander South with the RCMP's 'G' Division.

"The way things work in the NWT is it's up to the RCMP to decide whether criminal charges will be laid," Gray said, adding those decisions are normally made in consultation with the Department of Justice.

Gray explained the case was referred to a Yukon prosecutor because the officer in question has had professional contact with the Department of Justice in the NWT.

"What we're attempting to do here is to be fair to everybody," he said, noting that applies both to the officer and the complainant.

"We want to be as neutral as possible," he added.

When asked if it might appear more impartial if another police force decided whether a charge is or isn't laid, Gray responded, "I'll say the buck stops here."

The officer is still serving in Fort Smith.

Sikyea is awaiting trial on a charge of sexual assault.