Violent arrest by Calgary police caught on video appears 'gratuitous,' says lawyer
'The level of violence seemed to escalate very quickly,' says Dale Fedorchuk
While police are entitled to use force, a criminal defence lawyer says officers may have gone too far when arresting a man on Friday outside a Calgary bar.
A 21-second video posted to Instagram, which has recently been taken down, shows an officer throwing a man to the ground outside 1410 World Bierhaus Restaurant and Lounge before punching him at least twice while two other officers help restrain him.
"The initial punches to the face appear gratuitous," Dale Fedorchuk told the Calgary Eyeopener on Tuesday.
"The level of violence seemed to escalate very quickly."
Calgary police Chief Roger Chaffin announced on Monday that a review is underway into the actions of the officers involved in the violent arrest.
The Calgary Police Commission will closely monitoring the investigation to "ensure it is appropriate, fair and thorough," commission chair Howie Shikaze said in a release.
Video does not tell whole story
While Fedorchuk was surprised how quickly the violence escalated in the arrest, he says the video does not tell the whole story.
"Police actions should not be judged against a standard of perfection," said Fedorchuk.
"The police engage in dangerous and demanding work and often have to react quickly to emergencies. And we also don't know what happened before the video clip was recorded."
He said in this particular incident, it would have been "very beneficial" if the officers involved would have been wearing body cameras.
If someone is resisting arrest, Fedorchuk said there are a number of tactics police can use to resolve the situation, including calmly speaking to the individual to encourage them to co-operate.
Depending on the level of resistance from the individual, he said police are entitled to use force to take control with stunning blows and Tasers.
However, he said police are not entitled to resort to violence to get someone's attention.
"Their actions have to be authorized by law they have to act on reasonable grounds in performing those actions."
With files from the Calgary Eyeopener