Altercation between officer and student under scrutiny

Police action under scrutiny CTV’s Beatrice Vaisman gets reaction following an online video that shows a physical interaction with an Orangeville Police officer.

Orangeville’s deputy police chief has requested a review after video surfaced of a confrontation between an officer and a student at a high school on Tuesday.

Police were called to Westside Secondary School after staff became concerned that a fight was on the verge of breaking out between some students.

A 45-second cell phone video that was posted to Instagram shows an Orangeville officer reacting to an exchange of words with a 17-year-old student by shoving him into the school’s exterior brick wall.

The officer pinned the Grade 12 student for approximately 10 seconds before a shoving match started between the two.

Some other students tried to diffuse the situation, getting between the officer and student.

Police released a statement that reads, “During the course of dispersing the crowd a threat was made towards an officer, and force was used to remove the youth from the crowd.”

The police force has admitted the officer used force to “take physical control” of the teen adding, “the portions of the incident prior to the start of the video, and after the 45 seconds of video were not posted.”

The school board is also investigating the matter.