Shocking video has surfaced showing an RCMP officer dragging an elderly man down a flight of stairs following a heated strata meeting in Coquitlam Thursday night.
The footage, which was uploaded to YouTube, begins with a group of officers surrounding an older couple in the stairwell of a Best Western hotel, where the strata was holding its annual general meeting.
As a young girl cries and screams, one Mountie can be seen grabbing the elderly man, who is lying on the ground, and pulling him toward the stairs.
"Stop resisting," the officer yells before apparently yanking the man down a staircase.
On Friday, Coquitlam RCMP released a statement confirming its members were called to the hotel the previous night, and that a review has been launched into what happened.
Supt. Sean Maloney said Mounties received a report that the strata meeting had "gotten out of hand and that some parties in attendance were potentially fighting" around 10:30 p.m.
After arriving and assessing the situation, officers decided to end the meeting, but an elderly couple allegedly refused to leave. They were later arrested and assessed by Emergency Health Services, Maloney said.
Though no one has filed a complaint with Coquitlam RCMP, the superintendent said he has initiated a review into the officers' actions.
"I respect and understand that the video may cause concern to the public," Maloney said.
"I ask for the community's understanding to give time for a fulsome review to take place, so I can make an informed decision about the next steps."
Coquitlam RCMP are also continuing to investigate what happened at the Best Western before they arrived, and will be forwarding a report to Crown for the assessment of potential criminal charges against the couple.
New Westminster Police will conduct an external investigation into the incident, including the actions of the Coquitlam RCMP.
