(CBC News) – An RCMP officer in eastern P.E.I. has been fined $1,500 plus $220 for the victims of crime fund, for assault and unlawful confinement.

Provincial Court Judge Nancy Orr, presiding in Georgetown, said jail time or probation are not appropriate for 38-year-old Darren Aeneas Doucette of Montague RCMP.

Doucette was charged after an incident in November 2010 after he ordered four youths into his cruiser while investigating a noise complaint. One youth protested and Doucette forced him inside his car.

The youths were not criminal suspects. They were held in the cruiser for eight to 10 minutes, questioned and released.

Doucette was found guilty after a trial in February of one count of assault and one count of unlawful confinement.

He is appealing his conviction.

Orr described the event as an isolated incident in a 12-year law enforcement career, and at low end of severity scale.

But she said absolute or conditional discharge was not appropriate either.

“Mr. Doucette has never acknowledged what he did was wrong,” said Orr.

“How can the public respect police if police don’t respect the law?”

RCMP continue to conduct an internal investigation. Doucette remains suspended with pay until that investigation is finished.

[Source]