Video of a Kelowna Mountie punching a man pinned against a truck early Sunday morning (May 9) is making the rounds on social media, prompting an internal review of the arrest by the local detachment.
The video, posted to local Facebook group Kelowna Alert, shows an officer pushing a man up against a truck, striking him and demanding he put his hands on his head.
The officer then pins the man to the ground and appears to handcuff him.
The person who posted the video to social media said the officer’s actions constitute “excessive force and police brutality.”
“This is absolutely ridiculous and the officer had no right to use the force he did,” reads the post.
The Kelowna RCMP says it is reviewing the circumstances surrounding that incident and provided “context” for the video in a Monday afternoon release.
“We are aware of witness video of this arrest,” said Cpl. Jocelyn Noseworthy. “This file, and the actions of our officers, will be thoroughly reviewed through our internal processes.”
Mounties say the man arrested in the video is facing charges for allegedly being in possession of a stolen vehicle, a Pontiac reported stolen from the impound lot of a local tow company on May 7.
Just after 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, a tow truck driver reported to the RCMP he’d located the vehicle near the intersection of Gaston Avenue and Ellis Street, prompting a police response.
An officer arrived to find a man inside the vehicle, and the RCMP states the man was “uncooperative with the officer, actively resisted arrest, and refused to show the officer his hands while clenching his hands in the front at his waistband,” claiming several backup officers were required to assist.
Following the arrest, the RCMP says the suspect received medical treatment and was subsequently released from custody on conditions pending a future court date.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the Kelowna RCMP at (250) 762-3300.
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