A trial started on Monday for a Calgary police officer charged with aggravated assault.
Const. Trevor Lindsay is charged in connection with a May 2015 incident in which Daniel Haworth suffered injuries during an arrest. Haworth was arrested after he allegedly broke into his ex-girlfriend’s home.
Video played in court Monday showed Lindsay in a police cruiser with Haworth, as he was being transferred to the Calgary police arrest processing unit.
Another video — released previously by Haworth’s family — showed a handcuffed Haworth being punched in the head three times by a police officer, who then threw him to the ground.
In court on Monday, the Crown said Haworth suffered a fractured skull and a brain bleed injury. He has since died from a drug overdose.
The Crown’s first witness was Lindsay’s work partner, who was there at the time of the arrest. She testified that Haworth was not overly cooperative and was unconscious after hitting the ground.
Lindsay was suspended from the Calgary Police Service with pay.
The trial is being heard by a judge alone, and is expected to last seven days.