MEDIA RELEASE: Union Questions Use of Force in Arrest of Officer

The President of the union representing the Cape Breton Police Officer who was charged earlier this week is questioning whether appropriate force was used during his arrest.

Wade Lavin is a 15-year member of the Cape Breton Police force. In the early hours of the morning on Wednesday, he and his family – three children under the age of 11 and his wife – awoke to a team of RCMP officers, some armed with Colt C8 carbine assault rifles, who let themselves into their home.

“While the union cannot speak to the investigation of Mr. Lavin, I feel I must speak out and question whether it truly warranted terrorizing a family in their own home,” asked President Joan Jessome.

“Why could the RCMP not wait until the small children were not home, or speak to Mr. Lavin when he was scheduled to come into work the following day? It seems extremely excessive to have armed officers storm a house to retrieve a computer.”

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The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union represents over 30,000 women and men who provide quality public services Nova Scotian’s count on every day.

For more information, please contact:

Holly Fraughton, NSGEU Communications Officer
902.424.4063 (office)
902.471.1781 (cell)
hfraughton@nsgeu.ca