Scammer
Banned
The police department in Abbotsford, B.C., is recommending charges against a Kelowna Mountie who was caught on tape kicking a co-operative suspect in the face.
On Sunday, the independent Abbotsford police — brought in to conduct a criminal investigation into the incident — said their officers are recommending RCMP Const. Geoff Mantler be charged with one count of assault causing bodily harm.
Abbotsford police say investigators are in the process of submitting a written report to Crown counsel.
Const. Ian MacDonald of the Abbotsford Police Department said police had interviewed about 40 witnesses and examined the video, which has been widely broadcast and viewed thousands of times on YouTube.
"That video was a very compelling piece of evidence, we used it regularly," he said. "But I don't want to discount the eyewitnesses, either. We were pleasantly surprised that we had the full support of residents of Kelowna."
Crown counsel will have the final say on whether a charge will be laid.
The Jan. 7 incident made national headlines when the video, shot by a bystander across the street, was released.
Officer suspended
The video shows Buddy Tavares getting out of his truck with his hands in the air. Two officers have their guns drawn and one kicks him in the face as he is getting on the ground.
Tavares, 51, is charged with careless use of a firearm. He was stopped after shots were fired at a Kelowna-area golf course.
Tavares is on leave from his job at the golf course while recovering from a brain injury suffered in a recent motorcycle crash.
Tavares said his employer had asked him to use a shotgun to scare geese off the greens.
When Tavares was released from custody, he had a black eye and several scrapes on his face.
Mantler was suspended with pay pending the investigation.
Rally for police oversight
About 300 people took to the streets of Kelowna on Sunday afternoon to march from a local park to the RCMP detachment.
The protest was touted on Facebook as a rally to "stop police brutality." It lasted about 40 minutes and was peaceful despite earlier RCMP fears it could turn violent.
"People are sick and tired of that type of thing going on," said organizer John Hewitson. "And people are sick and tired and don't want to tolerate police being paid while they're under investigation."
Tavares made a brief appearance at the rally. He said he's fortunate his arrest was caught on tape, and called the experience "mind-boggling."
NDP calls for RCMP reform
Meanwhile, two New Democrat MPs — public safety critic Don Davies and Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen — issued a statement Sunday saying the violent arrest highlights the need for "serious reform and stronger oversight of Canada's national police force."
"When police violence against a compliant and non-violent citizen occurs, the public needs to know that strong and swift action will be taken," Davies said in the statement.
"Until RCMP oversight is strengthened, public confidence in the RCMP will continue to erode."
Cullen said it's clear some action must be taken.
"The incident in Kelowna should be a wake-up call to the government that they have dragged their feet for too long on RCMP reform," he said. "The government has known for years that the system is broken, but even their own meagre reform bill is stalled in Parliament because they refuse to bring it forward for debate."
On Sunday, the independent Abbotsford police — brought in to conduct a criminal investigation into the incident — said their officers are recommending RCMP Const. Geoff Mantler be charged with one count of assault causing bodily harm.
Abbotsford police say investigators are in the process of submitting a written report to Crown counsel.
Const. Ian MacDonald of the Abbotsford Police Department said police had interviewed about 40 witnesses and examined the video, which has been widely broadcast and viewed thousands of times on YouTube.
"That video was a very compelling piece of evidence, we used it regularly," he said. "But I don't want to discount the eyewitnesses, either. We were pleasantly surprised that we had the full support of residents of Kelowna."
Crown counsel will have the final say on whether a charge will be laid.
The Jan. 7 incident made national headlines when the video, shot by a bystander across the street, was released.
Officer suspended
The video shows Buddy Tavares getting out of his truck with his hands in the air. Two officers have their guns drawn and one kicks him in the face as he is getting on the ground.
Tavares, 51, is charged with careless use of a firearm. He was stopped after shots were fired at a Kelowna-area golf course.
Tavares is on leave from his job at the golf course while recovering from a brain injury suffered in a recent motorcycle crash.
Tavares said his employer had asked him to use a shotgun to scare geese off the greens.
When Tavares was released from custody, he had a black eye and several scrapes on his face.
Mantler was suspended with pay pending the investigation.
Rally for police oversight
About 300 people took to the streets of Kelowna on Sunday afternoon to march from a local park to the RCMP detachment.
The protest was touted on Facebook as a rally to "stop police brutality." It lasted about 40 minutes and was peaceful despite earlier RCMP fears it could turn violent.
"People are sick and tired of that type of thing going on," said organizer John Hewitson. "And people are sick and tired and don't want to tolerate police being paid while they're under investigation."
Tavares made a brief appearance at the rally. He said he's fortunate his arrest was caught on tape, and called the experience "mind-boggling."
NDP calls for RCMP reform
Meanwhile, two New Democrat MPs — public safety critic Don Davies and Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen — issued a statement Sunday saying the violent arrest highlights the need for "serious reform and stronger oversight of Canada's national police force."
"When police violence against a compliant and non-violent citizen occurs, the public needs to know that strong and swift action will be taken," Davies said in the statement.
"Until RCMP oversight is strengthened, public confidence in the RCMP will continue to erode."
Cullen said it's clear some action must be taken.
"The incident in Kelowna should be a wake-up call to the government that they have dragged their feet for too long on RCMP reform," he said. "The government has known for years that the system is broken, but even their own meagre reform bill is stalled in Parliament because they refuse to bring it forward for debate."