The province’s police watchdog is investigating after a video was shared online that appears to show an RCMP officer standing on a man’s chest during an arrest.
Police said in a news release Monday that officers were called about a disturbance at a home on Trader’s Lake Road in Mosakahiken Cree Nation in the Moose Lake area at about 4:40 a.m. Friday. Officers went there, and a “property representative” told them a man had assaulted a female inside and refused to leave.
Officers went in and tried to arrest the man for assault, but he “resisted and became combative” with the two officers, RCMP said.
An image from a short video posted by TikTok user @katch_x shows an RCMP officer standing on a man’s chest while holding the rear of an RCMP pickup truck. The man was arrested in Mosakahiken Cree Nation early Friday. RCMP said Monday the man resisted arrest and struggled with officers.
Police used a Taser on the man in an effort to subdue and handcuff him.
“The suspect continued to resist officers as he was being removed from the home, and as they attempted to place him in the vehicle, he continued to resist and fell to the ground,” the release said.
Officers again used a Taser on the man, but it was unsuccessful. The two officers continued to struggle with the suspect and called for a third officer to join them at the scene.
The man “continued to resist” after the third officer arrived, the release said, but was placed in a vehicle and taken to the Moose Lake RCMP detachment.
A 22-year-old man from The Pas has been charged with assault while choking, four counts of assault causing bodily harm, and two counts each of assault on a police officer and resisting arrest.
No injuries were reported by the suspect or the officers, the release said.
“Manitoba RCMP are aware of a video circulating on social media showing a small portion of the arrest,” the release said. “The contents of this video, and events leading up to it, are being reviewed.”
An image from a short video posted by TikTok user @katch_x on Sunday shows an RCMP officer standing on a man’s chest while holding the rear of an RCMP pickup truck.
The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba has been notified about the incident, RCMP said.
fpcity@freepress.mb.ca