WARNING: Details in this story may be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.
Two brothers have been cleared of assaulting a Vancouver police officer following a traffic stop in 2018, after more video came to light.
Brendan and Troy Robinson, as well as a third man, had been driving in a Dodge Durango through a restricted area of Granville Street just before 10 p.m. on Oct. 9, 2018, police said at the time.
The three men, all in their early 20s, were verbally abusive, refused to follow directions and began reaching under the car seat, police said.
When an officer opened the passenger door, the man in the front seat pulled him into the SUV and two of the men punched the officer repeatedly in the head and face, police said.
All three men got out of the vehicle and continued to assault the officers, police said.
Cellphone video surfaced that showed part of a brawl that ensued between Brendan Robinson and one of the officers.
At the time, a Vancouver Police Department spokesperson said the officers were defending themselves against the suspects’ blows.
However, on Monday, a B.C. Provincial Court judge dismissed all charges against the Robinsons because of more video that had been shot by Troy.
The judge said Brendan Robinson had been the one to defend himself and shouldn’t have been arrested, adding that the testimony of the two police officers in the case was unreliable.
“I’m just happy that we had the video evidence to prove that we were innocent,” Troy told Global News outside of court.
“Otherwise, we would have got charges that were undeserved.”
– with files from Jon Azpiri