Les Kaminski, the new president of the Calgary Police Association, is facing charges along with another officer in connection with a 2008 traffic stop that allegedly escalated into violence.

Kaminski and Constable Brant Derrick stopped Jason Arkinstall on August 31, 2008 and were captured on camera reportedly assaulting him.

The video allegedly shows Derrick hitting a handcuffed man and then throwing him into the back of a police van.

Arkinstall was charged in connection with death threats made towards a police officer but was ultimately acquitted after the trial judge found that the evidence and testimony from Kaminski and Derrick was ‘not credible or reliable’.

Justice Terry Semenuk also determined that Kaminski assaulted Arkinstall during the arrest.

He said the accused ‘complained about a shoulder injury and that he was in pain and Kaminski responded by striking the accused forcefully with the baton twice on the back of his neck.’

In his address after his election to president of the CPA, Kaminski pledged to change the Calgary Police Service after the controversy that gripped the agency in 2016.

Now, he has been charged by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team with one count of perjury and one count of assault.

Derrick has been charged with one count of assault causing bodily harm.

Officials say that it took some time before charges were laid because of some administrative matters.

"I can tell you that we were aware that we were in a position to be able to charge on this file before last week,” said ASIRT executive director Susan Hughson. “The decision was made weeks ago but there was a need for us to have further discussions with the Crown and a need to make the necessary operational requirements to do what we have to do when we charge a police officer.”

She says that the delay was also because of the Calgary Police Service.

“The review, when they looked at it, wasn’t about clearing officers. It was about what we could learn from it at the time and at that time they didn’t believe a formal investigation was required.”

Tom Engel, the chair of the Criminal Trial Lawyers’ Association Policing Committee, has been advocating for criminal charges in the case for years.

“I really have to point the finger at the Calgary Police Association, which is supposed to be the watchdog over the Calgary Police Service but has demonstrated over the years that it’s nothing but a lap dog.”

Engel also accused the group of stopping him from bringing the situation to the light.

Despite the charges, the commission’s chair stood behind Kaminski.

“I’ve met with him; I’ve had good conversations with him. He seems really dedicated to the interests of his members,” said Brian Theissen.

Both officers have been released on bail but are due back in court on February 7.