Police are recommending a charge of assault causing bodily harm for a B.C. Mountie caught on video kicking a man in the face during an arrest last month.
Abbotsford police were called in to investigate the Jan. 7 video, in which Const. Geoff Mantler can be seen kicking 51-year-old Buddy Tavares as he knelt on the ground beside his truck.
Investigators have now forwarded their full report on the incident, including the criminal charge recommendation, to Crown counsel.
Mantler has been suspended with pay pending the outcome of the investigation into the incident, which went viral online and was seen by thousands of people.
In the video, Mantler can be seen winding up for the kick. When the Tavares is rolled over after falling to the ground, his face is covered in blood, and there appears to be a pool of blood where he was lying.
Mounties had pulled over Tavares in response to a 911 call regarding a domestic violence incident and arrested him after finding a shotgun in his vehicle. He has been charged with careless use of a firearm.
The constable is also being investigated for an August 2010 arrest in which the victim suffered a broken tooth, black eye and multiple cuts to his face.
Jeremy Packer, who works for a boat company, was mistakenly arrested by Mantler and another officer when he was repossessing a vessel for non-payment issues, in Kelowna last summer.
Packer said police pulled him out of the car while it was still in gear, which caused it to subsequently roll ahead and hit another vehicle.
Packer said he was punched repeatedly despite being cooperative. He was taken into custody for several hours but never charged with a crime.
