Two Calgary police officers are on desk duty and two others have been sent home while the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) investigates an arrest turned violent.
On the evening of July 30, 2016, several officers were involved in the arrest of a man in the 6700 block of Macleod Trail S.
An officer followed a car into a parking lot and turned on the lights to indicate a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle instead ran, and the officer gave chase on foot. The man was taken into custody a short distance away but sustained serious injuries in the arrest.
As part of the follow-up to the incident, the in-car camera from one of the police cruisers was reviewed and concerns were raised over the conduct of the officers involved in the arrest.
When asked why it took a month to notify the public of the investigation, the Calgary Police Service said it did so as soon as possible after reviewing the in-car video.
“We recognize that the public demands a high standard of professionalism which shows in our service having a high citizen satisfaction rating however we also recognize that public confidence can be eroded over time if we don't continue to be open, transparent and provide highly valuable service to the community,” said Deputy Chief Paul Cook, Calgary Police Service
The status of the two members who have been relieved from duty with pay will be reviewed in the next seven days. No charges have been laid at this time.
