A Winnipeg man is in police custody following a violent arrest on Isabel Street that was captured on video.
Winnipeg police said they were called to the area Saturday afternoon after people told them a man was trying to steal a car.
In the video, officers can be seen trying to get in the car, but it appears the man locked the doors and refused to exit.
Eventually police were able to open the door to remove the man and a struggle erupted.
In the video, the sound of a taser being deployed several times can be heard while onlookers yell obscenities at the police.
Police issued a statement on the arrest Sunday, saying the man grabbed one of the officer’s tasers, and that the taser made contact with an officer’s face twice.
In the video, one of the police officers can be seen punching the suspect in the head as they wrestled on the ground.
Const. Jay Murray gave a detailed account of the arrest, the tactics used to control the suspect, and the potential danger of the situation.
In their statement, police say they believe recent drug use contributed to the incident.
32-year-old Rodney Alvin Meeches was charged with Car Theft, Assaulting an Officer With a Weapon, and Assaulting an Officer Causing Bodily Harm, among other charges.
The Winnipeg Police Service issued the following statement:
On May 4, 2019, at approximately 2:05 p.m., a West District General Patrol unit was flagged down in the area of Ross Avenue and Isabel Street by a group of individuals who advised that a male was trying to steal a nearby vehicle. The male was seen inside the vehicle with a screwdriver and had started to kick at the windshield.
The officers were led to the 200 block of Isabel Street where they located the male inside the vehicle. Attempts were made to take the male into custody; however, he locked the vehicle doors and refused to exit. The owner of the vehicle eventually unlocked the car and officers continued to ask the male to exit, but the male again refused.
As officers attempted to remove the male, he began to fight with them. A conducted energy weapon (“Taser”) was used in an attempt to gain compliance from the male who continued to act aggressively. During the struggle, the male grabbed hold of the conducted energy weapon and was able to engage the device continuously. The device was later pushed into the face of one of the officers where it made contact twice.
The male was eventually taken into custody and was transported to hospital where he was treated and released. It is believed that recent drug use may have played a role in the incident. Both officers later attended a hospital for treatment of injuries they sustained.
Rodney Alvin Meeches, a 32-year-old male of Winnipeg, has been charged with:
– Theft of Motor Vehicle
– Mischief Under $5,000/Obstruct in Enjoyment
– Disarming a Peace Officer
– Assault a Peace Officer with a Weapon
– Assault a Peace Officer Causing Bodily Harm
He has been detained in custody.
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