An 18-year member of the Barrie Police Service has been charged and suspended with pay after a video circulated of a violent downtown arrest of a 20-year-old man in February.
On Thursday, Barrie Police Const. Jason Stamp was arrested and charged with assault and assault with a weapon following an investigation by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
The Barrie Police Service was made aware of a video on Feb. 4 that showed one of its officers holding a young man down on the ground during an arrest on Dunlop Street East that took place earlier that day.
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In the video, the young man was heard yelling at the officer to get off him, before voices were heard telling the young man to “stop resisting.” The video then appeared to show the officer holding an electric stun gun and hitting the man.
Close to the end of the video, another officer was seen running toward the pair and flipping the young man over with the initial officer.
At the time, the 20-year-old man was arrested and charged with causing a disturbance and assault with an attempt to resist arrest.
In response to the video, Barrie Police Chief Kimberley Greenwood requested for the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) to conduct an independent investigation into the circumstances leading up to the arrest and the officer’s conduct.
“The need for transparency in policing is critical,” Greenwood said in a statement Thursday.
“The Barrie Police Service holds all its members to the highest level of professionalism. I thank the OPP for conducting a thorough and detailed investigation.”
Stamp, 46, was released from police custody and will appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Barrie on June 7.
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