UPDATE: The RCMP have requested that the Independent Investigations Office formally investigate the takedown incident in Prince George.
“The RCMP takes concerns about member conduct very seriously and a review was immediately launched into the matter,” said the press release from the force.
The Prince George RCMP will maintain conduct of the concurrent initial investigation relating to the stolen property.
The IIO is asking witnesses, or anyone who knows of potential witnesses, to contact the IIO witness line at 1-855-446-8477.
Questions are being raised after a security camera in Prince George captured the arrest of two men who were taken down hard by RCMP officers and a police dog.
The security video shows a back alley takedown that occurred outside a Prince George residence a few weeks ago.
Video shows a truck boxed in by multiple patrol cars before a police dog rips the driver out of his seat.
The officer holding the dog appears to kneel on the driver, delivering blows to his body and head.
The passenger of the vehicle, who also appears to fall straight to the ground, appears to be stomped and kicked by two officers.
The owner of the video says she later learned she knew the two men who were arrested for stealing the truck.
Micheal Vonn, policy director for the B.C. Civil Liberties Association described the video as “deeply concerning.”
“Looking at the video initially, it’s extremely shocking,” Vonn said. “Of course, all of the provisos stand. We don’t know the context of this. It’s simply a video. It provides no narrative. We’re not sure exactly what happened. We can only see what the video captured.”
“But in terms of the video, we can see no justification for the level of force that is inflicted on the people in the truck.”
Prince George RCMP said the video will be reviewed.
“This is an incident, a very high-risk takedown of a stolen motor vehicle,” said Perry Smith of Prince George RCMP.
“There is no audio with the video so you can’t see the actions of our members, what they were saying, the commands and everything. There were no serious injuries as a result of the actions taken by our members. When you look at it, you don’t get necessarily a clear picture of what occurred.”
– With files from John Hua