Social media video showing an RCMP officer repeatedly striking a suspect during an arrest in Port Alberni, B.C., over the weekend is drawing criticism from the community. The recording shows two Port Alberni RCMP officers apprehending a 33-year-old man in an alley on Sunday. One officer strikes the suspect several times, including twice in the head using his elbow. The last strike occurs while the man is face down and does not appear to be struggling. “That’s enough!” one witness can be heard yelling on the video. “You shouldn’t be a (expletive) cop if you can’t control your (expletive) anger,” adds another. Witness Stacy Little, who posted the video on Facebook, told CTV News she did not see anything to justify that use of force. “Oh my god, it was totally unnecessary,” Little said Monday. “But that is not really uncommon for Port Alberni RCMP. They have that kind of reputation.” Little’s video circulated widely on social media, garnering more than 465,000 views and many outraged comments, prompting a statement from detachment commander Insp. Kim Bruce defending the officer’s actions. “The video does not show the much needed context prior to the arrest, nor the observations of the officers. While use of force by police in any arrest may be disturbing to onlookers, it is important to look at the totality, rather than the result,” said Bruce. “The Criminal Code provides us with the authority to use force, and it is not something we take lightly.” In a news release, Port Alberni RCMP said the incident began when officers were called to a local business to “remove an individual who was unwanted.” Officers found a suspect – who had allegedly breached a release order – and chased him down an alley. “It is alleged that the suspect then assaulted the police officer who had caught up to him and a physical struggle ended up on the ground with the suspect keeping his hands underneath his body,” the detachment said. “During the process of the suspect’s arrest, police observed a sharp object in the suspect’s hands, and he was not complying with his arrest. Police had to use force to gain compliance and prevent further injuries.” Port Alberni RCMP did not specify any previous injuries sustained by the officer or anyone else. CTV News asked the B.C. RCMP whether anyone was hurt during the incident, and for more information on the “sharp object,” but a spokesperson declined to comment. “As the information you are seeking speaks directly to evidence which can be subject to examination during potential trial, I can’t provide further information about the incident,” Cpl. Alex Bérubé said in an email. In Little’s video, one of the officers can be seen tossing a small item to the side before placing the suspect in handcuffs. Little told CTV News she did not see the suspect assault an officer, or anything resembling a weapon, and reiterated her feeling that the level of force used during the arrest was not needed. Neighbours in her complex, some of whom can be heard yelling at the officer to stop striking the suspect, were “really riled up” after the incident, she said. “If nobody was around to actually see that or catch that, what could have happened to that guy?” Little asked. Authorities said the suspect was transported to the Port Alberni RCMP detachment, where he was held pending a court appearance. The RCMP did not specify what charges he could face in connection with Sunday’s incident.
