Video shows B.C. RCMP kicking, arresting suspect who allegedly tried taking officer's gun

A man with a “violent history” was taken into custody in Burnaby, B.C., Monday after allegedly fighting with an officer and attempting to take his gun—and part of the arrest was caught on camera and posted to social media.

The video, posted to TikTok, shows five RCMP officers surrounding a suspect who is lying face-down on the road in front of The Crystal Mall, on Kingsway and McKay Avenue. One officer kicks the suspect in the side twice.

In a news release, Burnaby RCMP acknowledged officers used “physical strikes” and a Taser in order to take the man into custody.

“We generally try to de-escalate situations,” Cpl. Mike Kalanj told CTV News Tuesday. “In this situation there wasn’t much time to do that, so our officers used the necessary use of force to get this individual into custody safely.”

“There was a significant risk to the public with this individual,” he added. “He does have a violent history in the Lower Mainland.”

The incident began around 12 p.m. Monday, when a member of the public flagged down an officer, and reported that a man was “attacking people,” walking in and out of traffic and trying to open doors of both parked and moving vehicles, Kalanj explained.

At the same time, a 911 call reported a man with the same description was waving around a hammer, according to the RCMP.

When the officer found the suspect, he “immediately demanded the officer’s firearm and lunged at him to attempt to disarm him,” Kalanj said.

Authorities said the suspect started to fight the officer despite being yelled at to stop, and resisted arrest. A member of the public helped police wrestle him to the ground until backup arrived.

“However, the suspect did not comply with officers’ instructions and continued to actively resist arrest,” the RCMP’s release reads.

Once he was arrested, the 46-year-old suspect was taken to hospital to get checked out, Kalanj said.

“He wound up with some minor injuries, as did our officer,” he said.

Kalanj added that the suspect’s injuries weren’t significant enough for the Independent Investigations Office, which looks into police-related incidents that result in death or serious harm in B.C., to be called in.

The IIO confirmed in an email to CTV News that it is not investigating the incident.

Kalanj said the suspect is still in the hospital Tuesday, and he’ll likely be facing at least two charges upon release.

Those charges, which could include assaulting a peace officer and disarming a peace officer, have not yet been forwarded to the BC Prosecution Service, according to Mounties.