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Transcript: Toronto police caught on video taking down, Tasering assault suspect

Here is a transcript of the video taken by a witness that shows the controversial takedown and Tasering of an assault suspect by Toronto police officers:

Video taken by witness shows suspect Tasered during arrest by Toronto police

CBC News ·
Toronto police at the scene of an arrest that involved a man being Tasered twice, once in the back of a cruiser and a second time while he was lying face down on the ground. (Alanna Rizza/The Eyeopener )

Here is a transcript of the video that shows the controversial takedown and Tasering of an assault suspect by Toronto police officers:

The video taken by a bystander begins with footage of the intersection after the suspect has been pulled out of the cruiser. He is face down on the ground.

The man's legs are bent at the knee, behind his back, and then are held up by one officer. Another officer stands by the man, with a Taser in his hand, and a third kneels beside him. 

The bystander who is filming says: "I don't know, man, I just saw this cop kick a man in the head."

At that point, a male officer Tasers the suspect and another officer drops the suspect's legs. 

The bystander says: "He's down and they Tasered him? This guy is restrained and they Tasered him."

The officer with the Taser in his hand yells out: "Move back, sir, if you want to be a witness, move back."

The bystander says: "I'm not obstructing your arrest. I'm not involved in the investigation."

Sgt. Eduardo Miranda and his officers holding down a man near Dundas Street East and Church Street on January 27, 2017. (Alanna Rizza/The Eyeopener )


A female officer approaches the bystander and says: "Guys, please just let them do what they need to, OK?"

The same male officer, who told the bystander to move back, kicks the suspect a few times and shouts: "Stop resisting!"

Then he tells the female officer: "Get that guy out of my face, please."

The female officer comes over to the bystander and says: "Guys, get back, please."

'You're going to get AIDS'

The bystander says: "No, I'm a witness. I'm a witness."

The female officer says: "Well, if you're a witness, then we're going to be seizing your cellphone."

Another male officer, wearing a tuque, says: "He's going to spit in your face and you're going to get AIDS."

It's not clear who the officer in the tuque is talking about, but he appears to be talking about the suspect.

Then the officer in the tuque says: "Stop recording or I'll seize your phone as evidence and then you're going to lose your phone."

The female officer says: "If you're a witness, we're going to need to seize your phone."

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