A petition calling for a Kelowna Mountie to be fired and charged with assault has garnered nearly 350,000 signatures.
The petition, entitled Justice for Mona Wang, launched on Change.org after surveillance footage surfaced last week of Const. Lacey Browning dragging UBCO student Mona Wang down the hall and pressing her head to the floor with a boot during a wellness check.
“We need to do better for our citizens struggling with their mental health. They should be met with trained professionals, not uniformed officers. The most vulnerable people in our communities should not be dragged down hallways, pulled by the hair, and stepped on in their times of need,” reads the petition.
READ MORE: Kelowna man sues Mountie, province after viral arrest
READ MORE: UBCO student sues Kelowna RCMP officer for alleged assault during wellness check
That surveillance footage was part of Wang’s ongoing civil lawsuit against the Kelowna RCMP. That suit also names the Attorney General of Canada as well as the B.C. Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General.
The claim alleges that Wang was at her apartment on Jan. 20, 2020 when her boyfriend called the police and asked them to provide a health check on Wang, claiming she was under mental distress.
According to court documents, Browning attended Wang’s apartment and found the student lying on the floor in a state of semi-consciousness.
It’s alleged Browning demanded Wang stand up and as she could not stand on her own, the officer then kicked the plaintiff in the stomach.
“Browning repeatedly assaulted the plaintiff while shouting, ‘stop being dramatic’, ‘control your dog, don’t make me hurt him’,” court documents stated.
These events were not recorded on the surveillance video.
However, the video does show Browning dragging the handcuffed plaintiff on her stomach out of the apartment, down a carpeted hallway.
The plaintiff alleges she suffered injuries to her face, upper thigh, right breast, sternum and forearms.
In response to the lawsuit, Const. Browning stated Wang’s dog attacked her and the officer had to shut the animal inside a nearby bedroom. As the plaintiff remained unresponsive on the floor, the defendant claimed she had to perform a sternum rub on Wang in hopes the woman would regain consciousness. At this point, she claims, the plaintiff became responsive and began yelling.
As Browning was alone without any other resources, she stated she had to move the plaintiff to the front door of the building to wait for fellow officers to arrive.
Browning has since been placed on administrative duty and is the subject of an internal investigation.
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