Calgary police officer sentenced to 90 days for assaulting man during arrest

A Calgary police officer who was convicted of beating up a man during a 2016 arrest was handed a 90-day sentence on Tuesday.

Const. James Othen was convicted of assault causing bodily harm and assault with a weapon and will serve his sentence on weekends.

Othen was one of three police officers accused of assaulting Clayton Prince after the car he was driving was pulled over on July 30, 2016.

Prince sustained broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a facial laceration and significant bruising.

During his trial, Othen told the court his adrenaline was pumping when he heard over the radio that a colleague was chasing Prince through a restaurant.

READ MORE: Calgary officer testifies at arrest assault trial, describes ‘fight of my life’

Watch below: Calgary police assault trial hears suspect Clayton Prince was not combative

1:42 Calgary police assault trial hears suspect Clayton Prince was not combative

Othen said foot chases are the most stressful situation an officer can encounter.

“Your stress level is through the roof because of the unknown,” Othen said, adding officers would be concerned about the potential for weapons.

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Othen originally said Prince positioned himself in a way that made it difficult to handcuff him and that he remembered kneeing Prince in the upper thigh and punching him four to six times in the head. After seeing video footage of the incident, Othen admitted it was possible he started engaging with Prince just as the subject was in the process of being subdued.

After its investigation, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team alleged the officers lied about the Prince resisting an officer when evidence suggested he did not.

Prince told court he ran from police during a traffic stop on Macleod Trail because he didn’t have a valid driver’s licence and was carrying a small amount of marijuana. He admitted he had smoked marijuana and snorted cocaine with friends prior to the incident.

READ MORE: Man alleged to have been hurt in arrest by Calgary police officers speaks out

Prince had been charged with one count of resisting Const. Othen in the lawful execution of his duty and one count of possession of a small amount of marijuana at the time. The Crown stayed those charges Aug. 29.

Othen will begin serving his sentence at Spyhill Correctional Centre on May 25.

-With files from Nancy Hixt, Erika Tucker and The Canadian Press