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Carcross, Yukon, RCMP officer charged with assault

Yukon RCMP have laid charges against an RCMP officer who allegedly assaulted a man who was being transported in a police vehicle in Carcross last month.

Const. Jason Potter charged in connection with incident in police vehicle last month

A small blue house with brown roof and red stairs/porch. A Canadian flag flies on a pole on the front lawn.
The RCMP detachment in Carcross, Yukon. Const. Jason Potter is on administrative duties at the detachment after being charged with assault and uttering threats. (CBC)

Yukon RCMP have laid charges against an RCMP officer who allegedly assaulted a man who was being transported in a police vehicle in Carcross last month.

Const. Jason Potter is facing one count of assault and one count of uttering threats.

In a news release, police say he responded to a complaint on the evening of May 15, taking a 34-year-old man into custody.

After the arrest, the officer reported to his detachment commander that he "was involved in an incident while transporting the prisoner," the release says.

The charges were laid on the recommendation of a Yukon RCMP investigation into the incident, which was reviewed by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team — a process that the RCMP came to after consultation with ASIRT and the Department of Justice.

Police say an internal Code of Conduct investigation is still underway.

Potter has spent five years with the RCMP. He has been stationed in Carcross since February 2013 and was in Whitehorse before that.

He is currently assigned to administrative duties at the Carcross detachment.

His next court appearance is set for July 28.