An RCMP officer allegedly struck a 26-year-old man with a pair of handcuffs during a confrontation in Nisku, near Edmonton, in 2017, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team said Thursday.

The man sustained serious injuries, including a facial fracture near his left eye, ASIRT said Thursday when it announced charges against the RCMP member.

Cpl. Peter MacMillan has been charged with assault causing bodily harm and assault with a weapon after an investigation, ASIRT said.

MacMillan, 37, has been suspended with pay and will remain off duty until "the internal process and all criminal charges have been resolved," the RCMP said in a statement.

MacMillan, who has 16 years of service, works with the RCMP's Central Alberta District Crime Reduction Unit.

On Nov. 15, 2017, MacMillan entered a gas station in Nisku and tried to arrest a man for possession of stolen property.

"During the arrest, the officer is alleged to have used both physical force and a pair of handcuffs to strike the man," ASIRT said in a news release.

The investigation found that the evidence offered reasonable grounds to believe that an offence or offences had been committed.

The file was forwarded to the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, which found that the case met the Crown standard for prosecution.

ASIRT executive director Susan Hughson determined that the officer should be charged.

MacMillan is required to appear in Leduc provincial court on Feb. 28.

ASIRT investigates incidents involving Alberta's police that have resulted in serious injury or death to any person, as well as serious or sensitive allegations of police misconduct.