RCMP officer charged in Gleichen

By Mario Prusina Times Editor

An RCMP officer has been charged with assault causing bodily harm following an investigation into an alleged use of excessive force at the Gleichen RCMP detachment in October 2025.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) announced Oct. 23 that Const. Marie-Helene Dupere was arrested and charged on Oct. 22, nearly a year after the incident involving a woman in police custody.

According to ASIRT, the investigation centred on an allegation of excessive force that occurred on the night of Oct. 30, 2025, while an officer was placing a woman in cells at the Gleichen detachment. The woman had been arrested for mischief earlier that evening.

ASIRT said evidence gathered during its investigation provided reasonable grounds to believe an offence had been committed. Following a review of the investigation and further review and advice from the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service that a charge be laid, ASIRT executive director Matthew Block determined that the officer should be charged.

Dupere was released on an undertaking and is scheduled to appear before the Alberta Court of Justice at Siksika Nation on Nov. 26.

With the matter now before the courts, ASIRT said no further information would be released.

ASIRT is part of the Police Review Commission, an independent, civilian-led agency responsible for investigating potential criminal offences involving police officers in Alberta, including cases in which an officer’s actions may have resulted in serious injury or death.

The charge has not been proven in court.