Mona Wang says she was unconscious and doesn’t remember being dragged down the hallway by RCMP Const. Lacy Browning during a mental health wellness check.
The university student, however, says she remembers the officer’s boot on her head during the Jan. 20 incident.
“I was on the floor already, so why does she feel the need to kick me while I’m already down?” Wang told Global News on Wednesday.
The UBC Okanagan nursing student says she remembers the cold concrete floor as she laid there, handcuffed and half naked.
“So many of the people who lived at my building were walking past, and it just felt so dehumanizing,” Wang said. “And so many people that I see on a daily basis seeing me at my lowest point, and it was so embarrassing.”
Wang has now filed a lawsuit against the officer involved, the federal attorney general, and B.C.’s public safety ministry, which is responsible for the actions of RCMP.
In the civil response, Browning said she found Wang bleeding on the floor near empty pill bottles.
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Browning alleges that when she tried to arrest Wang under the Mental Health Act, the student started flailing. In the civil response, the defendants claim the force the officer used was reasonable and necessary.
“After we had left, she took me to the hospital, and then she told them I was on crystal meth, which I feel like definitely caused some damages to my care,” said Wang.
In the civil response, Browning denies intentionally misleading medical professionals.
Wang says the toxicology report showed there were no illegal drugs in her body, adding that she’s never taken illicit drugs. She also said the officer caused her severe bruising, scarring and a swollen eye.
“I would like to see her fired. And if not fired, then definitely a lot of training on how to de-escalate situations,” Wang said.
“And maybe put out a policy that says in terms of wellness checks, not to have a police officer go but maybe a social worker.”
Wang says she’s sharing her story in the hopes that it will encourage others to come forward.
In a statement released late Tuesday night, Inspector Laura Livingstone said that RCMP understand and respect the concerns raised by the release of the surveillance video.
She also confirmed that Browning is on administrative duties and that both internal code of conduct and criminal investigations are underway.
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