PRINCE ALBERT – Two police officers failed in their duties, concluded the Public Complaints Commission that investigated the death of Tanner Brass.
On Feb. 10, 2022, two Prince Albert Police Service patrol officers had been dispatched to a domestic dispute involving an infant at 233 - 23 Street West in Prince Albert and they removed the mother from the home.
Officers, however, were called back to the home about five hours later and found 13-month-old Tanner Brass deceased. The father, Kaij Brass, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
“The circumstances on the morning of February 10, 2022, amount to a tragic and potentially avoidable incident," said the Public Complaints Commission in its report released Thursday.
In March 2022, the Prince Albert Police Chief suspended two officers from active duty pending the outcome of an independent investigation by the commission. The commission is a five-person, non-police body appointed by the government. It's responsible for ensuring that both the public and police receive a fair and thorough investigation of a complaint against the municipal police or an investigation of a possible criminal offence by a municipal police officer.
The report found that the officers were outside the home for 13 minutes and neither officer checked in on the well-being of the baby and in their reports didn’t mention any concerns about the child’s safety.
The report said the officers were wrong in believing they needed a warrant or permission to enter the home. They had the authority to enter under the common law duty to preserve life.
The officers also failed to follow PAPS intimate partner violence policy that requires officers attending domestic disputes to ensure the immediate safety of the complainant and any children in the home, said the report. Even though no interpersonal violence coordinators were available at the time, street supervisors were available for help.
Officers also failed to get a victim impact statement about the alleged assault against the mother, nor did they gather any information about Brass’ level of intoxication to determine if it was safe that the baby was alone with him.
“The totality of the circumstances demonstrates a series of compounded failures by [the officers] when they had a legal duty to investigate the 911 call by [the mother],” read the report. “This was neglect of duty.”
The commission said the report will now go to the Chief of the Prince Albert Police Service, “for the imposition of any discipline that may be appropriate.”
Brass was arrested in February 2022. A two-week non-jury trial for Kaij Brass on a second-degree murder charge has now been scheduled in Prince Albert Court of King’s Bench starting Feb. 26, 2024.
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