RCMP officers who detained autistic St. Albert youth will not face prosecution, says Crown

Crown prosecutors have decided not to charge three St. Albert RCMP officers who wrongfully arrested a non-verbal autistic boy, Ryley Bauman, despite findings from Alberta’s police watchdog that indicated the officers may have committed a crime. Bauman, who was 16 years old at the time, was handcuffed and taken to a holding cell on October 2, 2022 after Mounties in St. Albert received a report of a person behaving strangely on a playground. He was unable to communicate his name to the officers, who mistakenly believed that he was an intoxicated adult, leading to his arrest.

During the incident, Bauman occasionally spoke a few words and phrases, including “it’s OK,” “playground,” and “mom,” but was still taken to the police detachment and placed in a cell. While in the cell, Bauman repeatedly banged his head, prompting officers to give him a sedative. After his family reported him missing, ASIRT released a report stating that the officers’ actions met the Criminal Code standard for unlawful confinement and could constitute assault. However, the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service ultimately decided that the case did not meet their standards for prosecution.

The Alberta Crown Prosecution Service explained that while the officers may have made a mistake in assuming Bauman was intoxicated, they acted in good faith and had reasonable grounds to arrest him based on the information available to them. ASIRT found that there were reasonable grounds for charges against the officers, but the Crown Prosecution Service determined that there was not a reasonable likelihood of conviction based on the evidence provided and the higher standard of proof required for a trial. Despite the differing conclusions, the decision was made not to pursue charges against the officers involved in Bauman’s arrest.

The incident involving Ryley Bauman highlights the challenges of interacting with non-verbal individuals, particularly those with disabilities, within the criminal justice system. The wrongful arrest of Bauman, an autistic teenager who was unable to communicate his name to the police, led to his confinement in a cell and subsequent distress. The case also raises questions about the training and awareness around interacting with individuals with disabilities within law enforcement agencies.

The decision by the Crown Prosecution Service not to charge the officers in this case may spark further debate about accountability and justice in situations where law enforcement officers are involved in actions that result in harm to vulnerable individuals. The differing perspectives from ASIRT and the Crown Prosecution Service highlight the complexities of evaluating and determining legal consequences for police actions, particularly in cases involving individuals with disabilities. The outcome of this case may prompt discussions about improving training and protocols for law enforcement officers to better handle interactions with individuals with disabilities in the future.