Iqaluit cop faces assault, handgun charges

JOHN THOMPSON

An RCMP officer in Iqaluit has been suspended following charges of assault and careless use of a firearm.

Const. Michael Salomonie, 27, faces three counts of assaulting his common-law spouse, Ooloosie Taukie, and one count of careless use of a 9mm Smith and Wesson – the standard-issue RCMP handgun.

The first assault is alleged to have occurred between October and late December last year. The second is alleged to have occurred around Sept. 18 this year, and the final and third assault is alleged to have occurred on Sept. 29, during the same evening as the firearms offence.

The semi-automatic pistol was not fired, police say. All incidents are alleged to have occurred when Salomonie was off-duty.

During the Crown election hearing in court on Thursday, Nov. 24, Crown and defense lawyers agreed to proceed by summary conviction.

That means he will proceed directly to trial, without a preliminary hearing or show-cause. Salomonie appears in court next on Dec. 5 to make his plea.

He’s been suspended with pay until then, said Sgt. Ed North from the Iqaluit detachment.

Meanwhile, RCMP are conducting a separate internal investigation, led by an officer from outside the detachment.

The investigation’s outcome, and Salomonie’s plea in court, will determine whether he could receive counseling, a reprimand or face dismissal.

In October 2002, Salomonie became one of 11 Inuit recruits to graduate from the RCMP’s six-month training camp in Regina. He’s originally from Cape Dorset.