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A Saskatoon police officer is facing an assault charge after an investigation by a police watchdog agency into an off-duty party in 2024.
According to the Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT), a civilian-led organization mandated to investigate cases where a serious injury or death results from the actions of a police officer, along with allegations of interpersonal violence or sexual assault involving police, the officer was arrested by SIRT investigators on Thursday.
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The officer, who was not named in the team’s report, was released from custody on an undertaking to appear in court in late November, SIRT noted.
SIRT’s report said the investigation began on Sept. 19, 2024, after the team was notified of “an off-duty incident” involving Saskatoon police officers. The team said a number of details were deliberately left out of the report in order to comply with policing regulations, because the assault charge is currently before the courts.
“As these matters remain before the courts, and pursuant to the requirements of S.7.6(2) of The Police Regulations, 95/2022 s5, no additional information can be provided in relation to this matter,” SIRT said in its report.
While SIRT typically issues a news release through the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice with details of a case when it first launches an investigation, no such statement was issued in relation to this investigation, a notable departure from the norm.
Three Saskatoon officers fired last month
The investigation by SIRT followed the announcement last month that five Saskatoon police officers had been fired after the force deemed them “unsuitable for police service.”
According to a statement released by the Saskatoon Police Service, the three officers – two constables with nine and 10 years on the force and a special constable who had been with the force for two years – were among five officers who were suspended following “an off-duty gathering in September 2024.”
The other two suspended officers returned to work after an investigation, the police service added.
SIRT did not say if the officer facing an assault charge was among the three who were fired in September, but the team’s report refers to them as an “officer” throughout. All three of the fired officers have launched appeals.
“The actions we’ve taken here today reflect our commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accountability, and demonstrate that no one is above the expectations of this organization or the trust placed in us by the community,” Police Chief Cam McBride said when he announced the firings in September.
“The decision to dismiss a police officer is never made lightly, but is necessary when the conduct falls short of the standards our community expects and deserves.”
650 CKOM has reached out to the Saskatoon Police Service for comment on the assault charge.
According to the Saskatoon Police Service, three other officers were suspended due to unrelated investigations in November, January and February.
“A 22-year Sergeant suspended in November 2024, was dismissed in March 2025. Two other investigations are ongoing and the members remain suspended,” the police force added.
