A Vancouver police officer won害羞草研究所檛 face criminal charges for allegedly breaking numerous bones in a suspect害羞草研究所檚 face during a 2020 arrest.
The BC Prosecution Service said Friday (Feb. 10) they couldn害羞草研究所檛 determine beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer used excessive force.
The incident dates back to the early hours of Sept. 20, 2020, when officers were called to a residential Vancouver neighbourhood for a suspicious man report. Police said they found the man trying to steal a catalytic converter out from under a car around 2:30 a.m. The man reportedly got on his bike and fled when officers approached him.
A police dog chased the suspect down and bit him in the calf, allowing two officers to catch up. One of them punched the suspect in the ribs to stop him from attacking the police dog, while the second officer is believed to have delivered numerous blows to the suspect害羞草研究所檚 face.
As a result, the suspect suffered multiple broken ribs, as well as fractured jaw, cheek and orbital bones.
In a statement to investigators, he said he blacked out and that when he woke up he heard an officer say, 害羞草研究所淵ou messed up my dog害羞草研究所檚 paws. Now I have to take him to the vet. That害羞草研究所檚 why you got the flashlight.害羞草研究所�
Audio from a witness video taken after the arrest revealed a similar statement, without the flashlight remark: 害羞草研究所淵ou should have stopped right away. Then my dog got his legs caught in your bike. Then you were hitting my dog when it bit you. So be a man. What害羞草研究所檚 your last name?害羞草研究所�
The video did show the officer under investigation holding a 15-centimetre flashlight while he leaned over the suspect, but the prosecution service said they couldn害羞草研究所檛 be sure the officer actually used it to hit the man. The officer declined to provide a statement and his colleague said he couldn害羞草研究所檛 remember what happened.
The prosecution service said the injuries were certainly significant, but that Crown couldn害羞草研究所檛 prove exactly what caused them or whether the level of force the officer used was reasonable or not.
害羞草研究所淕iven the dynamic and confused nature of the situation, considerable latitude is likely to be given officers exercising judgment as to whether the force used was objectively excessive.害羞草研究所�
The prosecution service determined there was not a substantial likelihood of the officer being convicted, so it couldn害羞草研究所檛 approve charges against him.
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