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(UPDATE: June 2 @ 3:10 pm) - The officer in charge of the Kelowna RCMP has given his immediate take on the video that surfaced after the police made an arrest in downtown Kelowna Saturday evening. "Obviously, in the short duration of the video, the action is concerning," said Superintendent Brent Mundle. "But it's important when I review these matters that I look at the full incident."
In a statement made to the news media today, Superintendent Mundle, said when the 3rd officer arrived, he observed the man was still resisting arrest, but he admits there wasn't a lot of time taken to assess the situation.
"He arrives, he makes a decision quite quickly, and that's the reason for examining the actions in this particular incident."
KelownaNow received permission from CBC Kelowna to embed the video in this story.
(Original story: June 2 @ 6:30 am) - Kelowna RCMP has promised a “thorough internal review” after a man was taken to hospital after an arrest in the city on Saturday.
Mounties were called to a parking lot in the 200 block of Bernard Avenue at about 6:30 pm to a report of a suspicious vehicle driven by an impaired man.
The man, who is 30 and from Kelowna, was found intoxicated in the vehicle, according to police.
“During the arrest, the man actively resisted and allegedly turned assaultive toward the RCMP officers by pulling away, raising clenched fists, and refusing to cooperate with commands that were given to him,” Cpl. Jocelyn Noseworthy said.
“Officers then requested immediate backup and a third member responded to their request.”
The man was arrested after “a brief struggle,” Cpl Noseworthy added, before being taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
A video of the incident has been shared on social media, but the RCMP is keen to stress it is misleading.
In the clip, two officers can be seen holding onto a man as a third officer runs over and apparently strikes the man several times.
“I can confirm that this matter has been brought to our attention,” Supt. Brent Mundle said.
“A thorough internal review of this officer’s actions is currently underway.”
He added: “A 12-second video currently being circulated on social media sites only illustrates one short moment during the incident. It does not include what precipitated the situation where the officer felt the physical force seen in the video was necessary. Our officers are trained to conduct a continual risk assessment of the situation, often these decisions are required in a split second.”
Police said a “substantive” criminal investigation into the arrested man’s actions is ongoing and the results will be forwarded to the BC Prosecution Service for potential charges.
Anyone with any information about this incident can contact the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300.
To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or leave a tip online at crimestoppers.net
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