CAUTION: Video shows instances of violence that some may find offensive
RCMP have released additional video footage of an arrest in Lac La Biche they hope will provide more context to a social media video clip showing a man being spun face-down onto an asphalt street by an RCMP officer during an arrest on October 1.
The man, 44 year old Dennis Boucher, suffered facial cuts that did require a hospital visit and stitches before he was taken to the Lac La Biche detachment and charged with assaulting a peace officer and resisting arrest.
At a news briefing late Friday afternoon Staff Sgt Greg Stannard, with the Eastern Alberta District of the RCMP said the police footage shows that the officer had been attacked by the man moments before a witness captured video of the final seconds of the arrest.
"Part of the reason this video is being released is to help the public understand that it was more than just the little piece that originally was seen on facebook," he said, explaining that the officer was responding to a complaint at around two that morning by a relative of Boucher's who said he was being disruptive at a residential property on the south side of the Lac La Biche townsite.
While video images shot by witnesses and from home security cameras at the Boucher family home released earlier in the week to social media showed Boucher being compliant during several moments of the confrontation, RCMP say their video shows missing gaps in that interaction that provide more details about the escalating incident. Stannard said the RCMP video shows the suspect becoming aggressive and combative when the officer attempted to put handcuffs on him near the police vehicle.
"The individual initially resisted arrest and attacked the officer, punching and attempting to strike the officer additional times," Stannard told media.
Breakdown of RCMP video
Providing a commentary as he played out the RCMP video, Stannard paused several frames of the dash-cam footage to show how the officer and the individual were interacting. Stannard slowed down the video at one point, to show the suspect making a fist while the officer had control of his other arm. He said the officer reported he could feel Boucher's body stiffen as he prepared to throw the punches. The video then shows the suspect throw several punches toward the officer as the two briefly fall out of the camera's field of view. Seconds later the two are back in front of the camera, with the Boucher continuing to grapple towards the retreating officer. As the officer backs up, he draws his taser and fires twice.
Stannard said the video shows that neither of the taser bursts were successful,"and the suspect continued to pursue."
He said the officer then raises his own arms to "protect himself" as Boucher approaches. In the police video, Boucher then turns and begins to walk back to the police vehicle calling back to the officer. When Boucher stands beside the vehicle and raises his hands, the officer grabs one of his arms and quickly spins him to the ground.
Stannard said when the officer reached for Boucher, he felt him tense up again, so he took him to "a position of control."
"Even though (Boucher) showed some cooperation, he's basically proved that he may not be reliable, being that he showed co-operation before he actually struck the officer," Stannard explained. "At the side of the car ... the officer also felt him tense up again.. which is when he needed to take him to a position of control – which is the ground – and had to do it quickly before it became another unsafe situation for the officer and other folks around."
RCMP review
When asked about the level of force used by the officer, Stannard said the incident is under a local and provincial review.
"Any situations involving member conduct or use of force are not taken lightly and are appropriately addressed. There is a review that has begun ... It will be reviewed at the detachment level and at the district level which we've already started as well," he said.
Stannard said the Lac La Biche Mountie remains on active duty during the review.
Mom wants more
Despite the review, the RCMP video and the explanation, Boucher's mom hasn't changed her mind. She thinks excessive force was used on her son.
"The fact is what I saw when Dennis got thrown to the pavement, and the injuries he sustained," said Christine Boucher who is still pursuing a formal complaint about the arrest. "I don't know how much they can show on their side. I saw how they threw him."
RCMP did not give a specific timeframe for how long the review of the incident will take.
Boucher has his first court appearance scheduled for December.