Calgary police officer charged with assault after takedown of licence plate theft victim

CALGARY -

An officer with the Calgary police canine unit is facing assault charges after being accused of kicking a woman in the back and allowing his dog to bite her during an on-duty incident in February.

Officers spotted a vehicle with a licence plate that had been reported stolen around 11 p.m. on Feb. 20 and followed it from a distance until it parked in front of a building in the 1200 block of 34th Avenue N.E.

"After sitting in the vehicle for a period, the driver exited and began walking towards the building. As she approached the entrance, a canine officer approached her and ordered her to lie on the ground," police said in a release.

"After she put her belongings down but did not immediately lie down, the officer forced her to the ground. It is then alleged that the officer kicked her in the back and that the officer's canine then bit the woman." 

Once the woman had been taken into custody, officers determined her licence plate had been swapped with one from a similar type of car, which had been stolen.

Swapping plates allows criminals to drive undetected.

"While it was lawful to arrest the woman to investigate what officers reasonably believed was a stolen vehicle, an internal investigation and review by the Crown prosecutor has determined that criminal charges are appropriate for the force used during the arrest," police said,

"CPS proactively reached out to the victim as soon as we became aware of the incident. She has fully cooperated with the investigation and has been offered the full range of victim support resources." 

Const. Keegan Metz, who has been with CPS for 12 years, is charged with assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm.

He was immediately removed from the canine unit and is now suspended with pay. His pay and status will be regularly reviewed as the case progresses.