Ontario police officer charged after woman pepper sprayed following arrest

A London, Ont. police officer has been charged with assault after allegedly using pepper spray on a woman following her arrest earlier this year.

A 33-year-old woman was arrested shortly before 2 a.m. on April 29, London police said in a news release.

According to police, Const. Brandon Mihalides used pepper spray following the arrest.

In Ontario, the use of pepper spray is subject to mandatory use-of-force reporting requirements and a subsequent review process, police said.

During that process, concerns were raised about the use of force, and the matter was referred to the Major Crime Section to investigate possible criminal conduct.

As a result of the investigation, the 29-year-old officer is facing one count of assault with a weapon.

The officer has been reassigned to non-operational administrative duties, police said.