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HALIFAX - A fist fight involving several off-duty police officers and two young black men in Digby, N.S., has delivered a blow to attempts to heal the racial divide in the southwestern Nova Scotia community, says the father of one of the youths.

Rev. Michael Fells says he's frustrated that six months after the RCMP officially apologized for racist behaviour at the local detachment, his son Nathaniel Fells, 19, told him that he and a friend were the targets of a racial slur uttered by an off-duty officer as they walked by a van.

The two young men say the unidentified officer called them "niggers" as they walked by a local bar at 2 a.m.

Also, the youths say that on-duty RCMP from the local detachment did little to protect them and instead favoured the off-duty officers, who were visiting the area for a charity event.

Earlier this year, Ian Atkins, an assistant commissioner of the RCMP, said he met with local residents to "offer the community an apology for things that were inappropriate, things that were said and done in relation to the black community by a former commander."

Atkins also announced that the force had reached a monetary settlement in a complaint involving two female employees at the Digby detachment, who had alleged the former commander made sexually suggestive and racist comments to them.

On Monday, Michael Fells, a longtime pastor who has participated in a local race relations committee, said he was angry when he heard what happened to his son on June 22.

"The black youth were not protected by officers that were on duty," he said in an interview from the community of about 2,200 people.

He said the uniformed RCMP officers who responded "are creating serious problems" with the black community downtown.

Nathaniel Fells said he tried to escape from the off-duty officers, and he said it was unfair that the on-duty RCMP officers arrested only the youths.

Meanwhile, police acknowledge that William Drummond, 20, was wrestled to the ground by local officers and was hit with a jolt from a stun gun.

Drummond has admitted that he struck - and knocked out - one of the off-duty officers during the fracas that followed, but he has said that he was only defending himself.

No charges have been laid, though Drummond and Fells were arrested and taken to the local police station.

Staff Sgt. Phil Barrett, who has led the local force since 2006, described the incident as "a setback" for race relations, and has requested outside investigations by RCMP in Halifax and a neighbouring detachment.

The veteran officer said he was also "disappointed" by the actions of the off-duty officers, noting several officers from his detachment had visited their hotel and requested they stay away from the often raucous downtown on Saturday night.

Barrett said he and members of the race relations committee have viewed a video of the incident three times and found some evidence that confirms Nathaniel Fells' account.

"Some of the things they have said are backed up on the video," he said.

However, he also said he believes his officers "acted professionally."

He said he hasn't been able to confirm if the racial slur was made because the video doesn't have an audio track.

"I want to know if we can prove what Mr. Fells said," he said.

Nathaniel Fells, a former basketball player at the University of New Brunswick, said he ran into the off-duty officers as he left Club 98, a local nightclub, and headed for some pizza.

"We're walking by the street and this guy is leaning on the door of a van," he said.

That's when the officer made the racial insult, Fells said.

"He says 'You don't want none of me, we're too deep.' He opens his van up and 10 to 15 guys get out and they're all pretty big."

Fells said he and Drummond tried to walk away, but some of the officers pursued them and the fight broke out.

Const. Jeff Carr, a spokesman for Halifax Regional police, said the officers from the Halifax force - who had been staying at several local hotels - didn't do anything wrong.

"Some of them (police officers) were downtown when a disturbance occurred, and one of our members was injured during the disturbance," he said.

"It's our understanding of this incident that no Halifax regional police member acted in an inappropriate manner."

The officers were in town to take part in a motorcycle ride to raise money for local charities.

RCMP spokesman Joe Taplin said his force is investigating the actions of its off-duty officers, while the actions of a member of the New Glasgow town police force are also being examined.