Officer Accused Of Assaulting Person With Metal Detector Wand

An adjournment in the court case for a Saint John police officer charged with assault with a weapon.

Const. Nicholas Roy is accused of using a metal detector wand to assault an individual last October.

That information was revealed when the matter came before a judge for the first time on Friday morning.

An agent for Roy’s lawyer, Nathan Gorham, appeared on his behalf in Saint John provincial court on Friday.

Adrian Forsythe requested an adjournment in the case in order to review disclosure. The matter will now return to court on Aug. 8 for plea.

Roy, a 17-year member of the force, has been reassigned to administrative duties with no public contact since the charge was laid in early June.

At the time, police said the charge was laid following a public complaint and subsequent external investigation by the Kennebecasis Regional Police Force.

“The Saint John Police holds our members to the highest standard of accountability. Any complaints of excessive force are taken very seriously,” said Saint John Police Chief Robert Bruce in a news release.

“We are committed to maintaining public trust and always remaining transparent. We will provide the public with further updates as the court process permits and we remain confident in the judicial process.”

Roy is the third Saint John police officer to be charged in the past seven months.

Sgt. David Kimball was charged in November with falsifying a police report, obstruction of justice by providing a false report, and breach of trust in connection with the duties of his office.

The charges relate to the officer’s alleged actions during an investigation in April 2021. New Brunswick RCMP said it received a complaint from Public Prosecutions the following month requesting a review of the officer’s actions.

In December, Const. Benaiah Sok was charged with assault causing bodily harm following an investigation by the Fredericton Police Force.

Saint John’s police chief requested the investigation after a report of a member using excessive force while trying to make an arrest uptown in August.

Kimball was suspended with pay while Sok was reassigned to administrative duties.