Halifax police officer acquitted of assault in bar arrest

A Halifax Regional Police officer has been acquitted of assault in connection with an incident two years ago in the city's downtown bar district.

Const. Derek Fish, 49, was accused of using excessive force against an intoxicated man outside the bar Cheers on April 27, 2017.

Fish was charged by the province's Serious Incident Response Teamafter a man said he took video of his friend being arrested by police. The friend accused police of wiping the video from his phone.

While no charges were laid in relation to that allegation, SIRT found sufficient evidence to charge Fish. A provincial court judge ruled last week that Fish did not use excessive force in making the arrest.