The Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner has ordered an investigation after a video clip showed a Vancouver police officer fire three beanbag shots at a man during an arrest.
The video, which was released Tuesday by homeless advocacy group Against Displacement, appears to show a man lying on the ground with his arms up, surrounded by police officers, as one yells, “Get on your stomach! Roll over!”
After about a minute, an officer appears to fire three beanbag shots at the man, who rolls around and does not get up.
CONTENT WARNING: Brutal @vpd police assault on an unarmed man in the DTES – more a dozen cops ordered him to lie down, he did; then they tasered him & shot him 3 times with a beanbag gun from 10 feet away. @GlobalBC @CBCNews @CTVNews | video from Al Fowler from @VANDUpeople pic.twitter.com/VOQBrA8Pfh
— Against Displacement (@stopdisplacemnt) July 30, 2019
The advocacy group said the video was shot in the Downtown Eastside.
Deputy police complaint commissioner Andrea Spindler said Wednesday the watchdog will oversee the investigation, which will be carried out by a third-party police force.
The Vancouver Police Department did not return a request for comment.
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