Caught on camera: B.C. police officer punches man during arrest after Offspring concert
An Abbotsford police officer was caught on camera punching a man twice in the face during the course of an arrest this weekend, prompting a review by the department and a provincial watchdog.
In a news release Monday, The Abbotsford Police Department responded to video circulating on social media that captured the incident Saturday night following a concert by The Offspring.
The video, which is about a minute and a half long, shows five officers and several members of the public – including one man who is face-down on the ground.
When the man stands up he is flanked by two uniformed officers, one holding each of his arms. When the man appears to try and move away from the officers, one punches him twice in the side of the face.
Then the man falls to the ground.
More officers enter the frame while the man is handcuffed and onlookers start yelling at the police, telling them they are being filmed.
In its statement, the department describes what it says happened before the camera started rolling.
"After the concert was let out, officers were dealing with a member of the public when an unrelated citizen, who became the subject of the video, began to interfere with the officer’s investigation," spokesperson Sgt. Paul Walker writes in the statement. "During this time, the man ignored police direction to disengage, but he continued."
Then authorities provide a summary of what followed.
"As a result of the man’s actions, police advised him that he was under arrest for obstruction. During the arrest, the man continued to be non-compliant, resulting in the officer using force on him, striking him twice in the face before taking him into custody and placing him in handcuffs."
The incident is being investigated by the Abbotsford Police Department's professional standards section and B.C.'s Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner has been informed.
"AbbyPD is committed to obtaining all information which led to the use of force in this situation. Unfortunately, as this incident is under investigation, we cannot provide further comment," Walker's statement concluded.
Warning: The embedded video of the incident features profanity.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
This Toronto restaurant is no longer accepting tips. Here's how it's going
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff – tipping is no longer accepted.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
What new auto insurance reforms will mean for Ontarians, if they get introduced
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.