TORONTO — A man accused of obstructing a police officer during an arrest in front of a Toronto LCBO location last Friday said he was only trying to help.
Forty-two-year-old Andrew Burger was charged with interfering with a peace officer after he allegedly intervened during the arrest of 25-year-old Marquel Johnson, who was denied entry into the liquor store on Friday and later charged with assault and resisting arrest.
“When the young man said he cannot breathe I said, ‘Officer you’re going to kill him,'” Burger said during a press conference Thursday morning outside of Sheridan Mall, where the incident took place.
“That video that everyone was watching — that was just a part of it.”
Police said a paid-duty officer was working at the liquor store near Jane Street and Wilson Avenue when he noticed a man behaving erratically around 4 p.m.
After the man refused to show his identification, police said he wasn’t permitted to go inside the store and the officer issued him a trespassing notice.
It is alleged the man then took a swing at the officer, hit him, and a struggled ensued as he was being arrested.
Burger said “the whole truth” did not come out in the video, as he observed the officer on top of Johnson with his knee on the man’s throat.
“I don’t want to be charged because I did something good to save a life,” he said, adding that he felt the man’s life was in danger.
“If it costs my life and costs me to go to prison I’m ready to stand up for my community because we need someone to stand up for us, we have good cops, we have bad cops.”
A 16-minute video of the incident was posted on Facebook by a Hamilton-area man who claims the arrest was a result of the officer having a “power trip.”
Burger, wearing a coat with a Blue Jays logo, appeared to make contact with the officer during the altercation.
“This is not an arrest. This is abusing. This is physical contact to a body and a life is in danger,” he said. “This is why I was there from the beginning.”
Toronto Police Association President Mike McCormack called the allegations against the officer “complete nonsense” and said he showed a high degree of restraint and professionalism during the incident.
“When our officers are arresting somebody allow them to do their job, if you want to complain, feel free to complain and videotape all you want,” McCormack said.
“When you get into this situation and put your hands on our officers, obstructing our officers, you are creating a huge safety risk and you will be held accountable.”
VIDEO: Footage purportedly shows angry crowd confront Toronto officer during arrest
With files from Lama Nicolas
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