Officer charged with assault will now face disciplinary hearing for another violent arrest
Drew Anderson | CBC News | Posted: July 11, 2017 12:06 AM | Last Updated: July 12, 2017
Godfred Addai-Nyamekye filed a complaint against Const. Trevor Lindsay following altercation in 2013
A Calgary police officer facing aggravated assault charges for a violent arrest in 2015, is now facing a disciplinary hearing for another violent arrest in 2013.
Godfred Addai-Nyamekye filed a complaint against Const. Trevor Lindsay after he was arrested on December 28, 2013.
Addai-Nyamekye's complaint said Lindsay used excessive force during the arrest, used profanity, had no right to make the arrest and that Addai-Nyamekye was detained for a unreasonably long time after the arrest.
In a ruling from Calgary Police Chief Roger Chaffin dated July 3, all accusations beyond the use of force were dismissed.
The allegations have not been proven at this time.
Video footage of arrest
Video from a police helicopter shows Lindsay trying to pull a handcuffed Addai-Nyamekye to his feet from the snow-covered ground in downtown Calgary. Addai-Nyamekye falls back to the ground and the officer falls down on top of him.
Lindsay then delivers one or two punches to Addai-Nyamekye's head and proceeds to knee him repeatedly in the back and head before other officers arrive.
Prior to the arrival of the helicopter, Lindsay also deployed his Conducted Energy Weapon, commonly known as a Taser, twice. Addai-Nyamekye says Lindsay punched him in the face approximately five times and kicked him in the back and stomach.
"I have reviewed all of the evidence relating to this allegation and determined there is a reasonable prospect of establishing the facts necessary to prove officer misconduct," wrote Chaffin in his decision.
Previous violent arrest
Lindsay is also facing criminal charges in relation to an arrest in 2015, where he can be seen on video repeatedly punching Daniel Haworth in the head before throwing him head-first into the pavement outside the arrest processing unit of the Calgary police.
Haworth lost consciousness and was transported to Foothills Hospital, where he remained for about a week. His family says the effects of his injuries were lasting.
None of the allegations of assault against Haworth, who has since died from unrelated causes, have been proven in court.
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