The University of Western Ontario Police Brutality?? [UPDATED]
Nemean | Oct 14, 2009 | Comments 92
This is a video that is very disturbing to watch knowing it was filmed on campus at Western today, October 14, 2009. As a licensed security professional I have to wonder what this individual could have done to warrant such an arrest. Whoever was being arrested in this video, you should seek a personal injuries lawyer and get paid baby. Please leave your comments.
Part 2
UPDATE: Western Media Relations has released their “Media Release”. We call bullshit. Let us know what you think.
Personal favourite:
“Our officers did what they needed to do to ensure that he and others around him were safe.”
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That’s the Big Brother mentality I’ve been looking for! Not.
I could see where you’re coming from, yeah, if the guy had just laid down, all would have been fine.
But what happens when you carry that same mentality through a corrupt police force?
The police are here to maintain and enforce the law, and within that domain compliance is appropriate, although too many police go beyond that domain and it’s within our rights to NOT comply, since compliance would be submission of our own rights.
Stop WHINING people.
He WAS resisting, otherwise they would have gotten his arms behind his back and cuffed him right away. He was clearly hammered and clearly ready for a fight. They were hitting him in the body so that he would cover the spot up they were hitting and they could grab his arms. It looks bad but it really isn’t that bad.
Jeeesus you people are whiny. How do you know this guy didn’t crack some lady in the jaw? Then you’d be like “I hope they kick that guy’s fuckin ass!” or “He should’ve gotten worse!”
Sooo quick to blame the police….
Anyone who is whining about this and yapping about “police brutality” is an idiot.
It’s not like 6 cops stood there circle beating him. They’re allowed to use force when a suspect is resisting arrest, and it seems many of you don’t know what counts as resisting. Just because he wasn’t thrashing around and throwing punches doesn’t mean he wasn’t resisting. Resisting can be something as simple as locking your arms together and refusing to move.
When the police are confronted with an apparently violence and intoxicated offender, their safety and the safety of those around them is paramount. This idiot was running around social sci for a while breaking shit and trying to fight people. These cops used a minimal amount of force on him, and people are crying about it? Come on. No tasers, extremely limited baton use, and a few punches to a guy that was drunk and acting violent and is now resisting arrest? Get over it.
I was there… This guy was pretty messed… when the cops were yelling at him and hitting him (the first video), they had a handcuff on one hand but the guy wouldn’t give his other hand. I’m sorry but that is resisting… does that mean that the cops can hit him so much? well clearly the camera didn’t see what this guy was doing before so I guess the argument would be whether or not the police felt that this person posed a danger to them. I have witnessed many cases of excessive force by london police downtown… I won’t name the nightclub where the police and bouncers seem to feel like its ok to beat up innocent people… but in this situation and as a witness I have to say that I was not surprised nor shocked of the level of force and have to disagree with most of you. This guy was pretty messed up on something.
Terry,
Please contact us at admin [at] lionsdenu [dot] com. A number of news outlets are contacting us for your contact info.
Police Brutality or Drunken Stupidity?
The police have a tough enough job to do, without having to deal with drunken baffoons like this chump.
I just hope the bruises he sustained will serve as a good reminder of why excess alcohol comsumption is bad for your health!
Way to go Slappy McBruisedskull, your parents must be proud!
It looks like whoever the guy is, was really trying to get a way. Seems as though the police were trying to keep him down the best they could. I think they were doing their job. If he got away and shot someone or did something to an innocent person than everyone would be complaining the police didnt do a good enough job keeping him/her down.
Hello,
I’m Monique Johnson from the London Free Press. I want to know if you could forward Terry’s contact info. Or, if you have anyone that would be willing to speak on the beating/arrest. If you know any updated info please let me know.
Thanks so much
methankyou, I think you’re point is most paramount. The situation(s) themselves create a paradox, for if the man had slit your best friend’s throat in the building before this, everyone would indeed be complaining about lackluster police control of the area.
I grew up listening to NWA too, so I get the appeal of a good story on police brutality. But seriously, what kind of clowns are going to parade around concrete beach tomorrow protesting this without hardly any knowledge of the situation that preceded it?
I don’t like cops as much as the next guy, but this just seems like the average arrest of a potentially violent offender to me. Happens downtown in front of the clubs all the time. The only difference is this happened in a building of an academic institute and not on a nighttime street.
I think that video was hilarious.
The bottom line is that campus police are douche bags that have nothing else to do all day long but sit around and twiddle their thumbs so when some excitement happens to arise they pounce on it (literally in this case). I hope whoever it was sues their asses off.
This happen’s all of the time in london!
Ive been bet befor by them and have many friend’s who have
also.
Something should be done about this city and the cops here!
Just look at what happened with that one cop blasting off shots 17 of them and he get’s away with it by saying the guy pulled a gun (bullshit) that cop is lucky someone i care about did’ent get hurt by one of his stray bullets!
What if your son got killed by a trigger happy cop what than!
How do these cops not get there face’s punch in when there off duty?Going around fucking people over then feeling good about it, FUCK THEM!!
Give a London police officer the slightest bit of leeway to justify kicking your ass, and he will. That’s the way London has worked for the four years I was there, and it will continue to do so. It’s sad really.
Next time you see a conflict downtown, don’t be affraid to whip the camera out. Hell, even have it ready on video mode so you can catch this shit as soon as you come across it. I did it once. Alley between jacks and taphouse. Two cops had cornered a male student against the wall and were yelling at him for something. The student looked about ready to shit his pants but he was cooperating, not talking back at all. I pulled out the camera and made it very obvious I was making a video. The cop quickly cooled off.
The cops needed to use force here, but not that much. A+ to the guy getting pounded. After than many hits and 5 un-fit officers on you, you held them off for that long. I salute you.
Courtesy of a friend:
“[This] reminds me of that south park episode where the hunting laws get changed and they can only shoot the animals in self defense – so they yell “its coming right for us” before they shoot the deer. But instead here, they yell “stop resisting” then hit the guy.”
These cops watch way too much south park.
C.
Your broad statement of “anyone who thinks this is police brutality is an idiot” doesn’t quite hold unless you yourself have been in a situation like this.
The officers could have not used as excessive force as the video shows regardless of what he did.
Violent strikes shown in the video to vulnerable areas like the neck and head are reserved for self defence when an assailant has a weapon, proximity, and method of delivery.
A similar video of just two rent a cops at an LCBO surfaced in Toronto last year and they subdued a much larger agressive individual high on cocaine attempting to rob the store. Simple wrist control can be used instead of a baton. The officer who used the baton should draw some flack and will undoubtedly have to explain his reasoning behind it.
While the campus, and police claim to have been striking the gentleman’s arms. It is clear, from this video despite the distance that that is not all they were striking. Vital areas are clearly being hit while he has been taken to ground and controlled. At which point protocol does not call for additional support. On the contrary, at this point the officers should cuff him and assist him up. Perhaps the police are hoping this blows over and the suspect who has been charged, not convicted yet of his crimes would just forget and let it slide in order to get off the hook.
Furthermore, no matter how drunk someone is or beligerent the control is always in the officers hands when it comes to using the amount of force they decide upon. In this case, and my opinion, judging from the facts preceding the video that have been stated elsewhere about the boy’s condition I would say that while they did protect people around him the officers could have used different methods aside from strikes and body blows to bring the individual into custody.
In summation, the force used on the video is excessive when all aspects known to me presently are taken into account. This is not police brutality like Rodney King. However, there was a landmark case at a Loblaws in Toronto where a man was arrested by six individuals who all piled on him in similar manner suffocating him to death. I am aware that this specific example is brought up as a warning in Ontario Police College’s and should have been on the mind of the arresting officers at the time of this arrest.
In a day and age when electronic surveillance equipment comes in pocket form I think the London police just got a serious dose of self awareness. Good or bad it remains to be seen. Regardless of the outcome of this boy’s case the London Police should keep this in mind the next time they arrest anyone anywhere.
I just think its rather impressive on the drunk guy’s part that it took that many cops behaving as they did in excess or not to control him. 5 fully grown men vs a student or whatever they were.
Does anyone know if that was the London Police, or the Campus “Police” securtiy?
Glad no one dials 911 when fire’s burning on the dance floor, then we’d all be pinned down.
London police are like that, they drink on this kind of behavior. I have seen them before, they are not well trained to deal with the public and they behave like animals or barbarics. This has to stop, they did nto have to hit the guy, i mean 6 of them can’t handle one guy? Even if he was resisting; do you want to tell me that the guy was stronger than 6 trained strong armed men? Well big up guy and i hope u are ok, if I were u i will get them one by one at their homes or when i see them around and fuck them up. This is fucked really, police are to protect and not to use brute force when its not necessary. I know some people are saying police were right but wait till they get you or someone close to you and damage his brain then maybe you will open ya eyes. It is said that they can use extra force but not to a guy who was held down while other cops were punching him, he was helpless for God sakes. I hate cops, they are dumb and i am nto sure what kinds of school they go to bec normally people don’t do that.
Hit em once more for me….STOP RESISTING!!
If you are a “security professional” you should know be able to tell that they did not have him cuffed when they were “beating” him and they were clearly hitting certain parts of the body in order to get him cuffed. Arms, shoulders, kidneys, upper back, legs if he is kicking. It is a standard technique when a person is resisting arrest and not allowing cuffs to be put on.
For all the officers knew he had a gun/knife that he was reaching for. Would you rather have the officers punch the guy in certain parts of the body to ensure he can’t reach for anything or let him pull out a weapon and injure/kill the officers and people around?
Police officers risk their LIVES everyday for us, what do they get for it? Have some damn respect and give them the benefit of the doubt for once.
Well if police received training to deal with the public why aren’t they using it then. Are they only trained to use force because these days that’s what it looks like. Do u want to tell me that 6 cops can’t handcuff one guy without hitting him, i can surely twist ya arm and handcuff you without much struggle. They were having fun you clearly see, it was not really about him resisting or them wanting to handcuff him but about teaching other who were watching a lesson to say: we are incharge. Cops don’t haev to be asshole, and plus no one forced them to be cops so if they don’t want to risk their life’s then they can quit or not be cops at all and those who are brave enough will come forward and be cops. London cops are asshole period.
Western security should be ashamed of themselves. Their attack was brutal. As a parent I am very concerned. They should all be fired and the student should press assault charges on each one. It only goes to show how our security officers are not trained properly. No one deserves this abuse.
Im a big goof who just love’s to bet people when
i have 4 of my cop buddy’s near by!
But when im walking alone off duty im a big wimp who is 5 foot 6 and 175 pounds
and have to ware 6 shirts and a bullet proof vest to make
myself look big.
I wish i could be a normal person who everyone did’ent hate but it is what it is, im a bald headed goof who im
sure will get mine in time..
You idiots are buying into the hype from this piss poor website. They are trying to sensationalize a non-story for more hits and it’s working. In the process they are dragging the UWO police’s good name through the mud. The real story is
The guy assaulted 2 officers. Then he resisted arrest. The officer’s actually showed remarkable restraint.
The “Lion’s Den University” people should be sued for slander. Grow some fucking morals you twats.
I can’t believe you people. Obviously we are in the day and age when everyone loves to armchair quarterback, but come on. This guy attacked and threatened other people, but because our little reporter wannabe (the commentary in the second one is hilarious by the way – thanks for making me laugh) didn’t get that part on video, everyone just jumps all over the cops for hitting the guy.
The guy was uncuffed, had already fled, and was still resisting. When a 6′2, 200+ pound guy is on his stomach, arms locked underneath him, it’s going to take a lot more than 3 or 4 guys to get his arms apart (remember, half the cops had to focus on immobilizing him). “Wrist control” isn’t going to work here. It’s not like they cuffed him then just stomped the hell out of this guy. It was a guy that was not in restraints, resisting arrest, that had already proven to be violent and someone who would run for it given half a chance. Honestly, I want to know – what would anybody crying foul here have done differently?
One other thing – there are so many people in the way, you can’t even see for sure what’s happening with the guy. How about instead of acting like some whining little idiots that just look for reasons to pretend they’re smart and cry about civil liberties, you give the people that protect us day in and day out while risking their own safety the benefit of the doubt on this one? This isn’t some Rodney King bullshit, so stop acting like it is.
You guys make me laugh. This is what you people call police brutality? Without even going into details on how the suspect has to be apprehended, you guys probably don’t even know what is police brutality.
I come from a eastern block country. Trust me, this guy in this video got off easy, especially if he assaulted a police officer. Back home he would have been torn apart for just not complying with the requests of the officers, and if he assaulted one of the officers he would have been slowly and very painfully put in a condition which you guys would have called handicapped.
You guys have the most lenient police force in the world, be happy, smile, and let them do their jobs!
GET THE FACTS STRAIGHT: All reports and press releases clearly state alcohol was ruled out as a factor in this case. NO alcohol was not a factor.
According to the toronto star newspaper, the subject was peppersprayed when the police got him on the 7th or 8th floor. Perhaps that was why his behaviour became erratic before he tried to flee from the campus. How do you react to pepper spray?
The officers were following protocols. SIX trained officers with batons/weapons to subdue ONE unarmed man?? UNARMED. He was only “perceived” as a threat, but had done nothing. Why were officer able to hold him down but still to weak to move his arms to get cuffs on? Too busy with the batons?? Our police force is trained to beat up suspects without causing injury. WHY? Doesn’t the court system enforce penalties after a case is tried? Officers have no real right to enforce punishment on sight. That is the courts job. We don’t even have capital punishment.
Six on one is where your law enforcement dollars are spent. Yes, we need more police to be there when issues arrise, “where were the police when….” More police spread out, covering more area, but individual cases do not need more officers altogether intervening. The general public of Canada has no supernatural powers and unarmed men should be restrained by 2 or 3 trained professionals. Apparently, police procedures themselves are brutally forcefull. Set the bar low enough you can say any measure was not excessive.
It was both the London Police and the Campus police, two different task forces. Which just goes to show that this is precisely how they are trained react. We should be appalled. I do not want to live in a policed state. In response to TD, last i checked in our democracy the benifit of the doubt goes to citizens, (us, the people) not law enforcement. All the more should be our concern for this student, convicted or nothing, bearing no arms, being so brutally beated by authorities.
@Marion
“I don’t want to live in a policed state.”
Your ignorance is so incredible that I’m surprised you even have the intellectual capacity to read anything anyone else has said here. This hardly constitutes a police state or police brutality. How about instead of mouthing off about your little civil liberties, you go do something about it. Or at least visit a real “police state”. Ever heard of Korea? Try there first.
Do you know what I would find hilarious? If every single naysaying, crybaby coward here was attacked by a drunk person and was forced to call the police. I don’t want any harm to come to anyone, but a little bit of fear would be great. Then I want the police to show up, be completely passive, and then just have the guy run away or something. I guarangoddamntee you will be the same people running back here screaming about how the police don’t know how to do their jobs and they should have just taken down, and how YOUR liberties have been encroached upon since they didn’t do anything to the guy that attacked you.
Sickening.
Whether or not the officers involved in this incident are doing the right thing, the question we need to ask ourselves is are those officers really capable of keeping the public safe? In my opinion, if it takes six officers to beat this kid without mercy for several minutes then maybe our police officers aren’t getting enough training. I could understand if this kid was a 300 pound professional wrestler or something. Maybe I’m over thinking this whole situation but, something just doesn’t sit right with me knowing that 1 normal kid can give 6 of our police officers such a hard time.
I would have jumped in and saved him!
EVERYONE seems to have a theory on what the facts are or what drugs he was on or if he had a weapon..?
Watch the video.
1 unarmed suspect 6 police officers.
Again 1 UNARMED suspect 6 ARMED police officers.
Suspect did not assault any officer..FACT
6 police officers ASSAULTED unarmed suspect…FACT
Was he resisting YES. Is that Reason to Strike suspect with closed fists, knees and metal baton? NO.
He was ASSAULTED PERIOD.
Quit with trying to put spin on what is seen in the video.
USE YOUR EYES THAT’S IT. WATCH AND SEE IT FOR WHAT IT WAS.
ASSAULT. CRITICAL THINKING IS VERY IMPORTANT USE IT.
I agree with what a few people have already said… and that is that most of you are whiners.
They didn’t need six police officers, but if you have six why not use them… seriously
I am going to explain this scenario so pay attention…
Police officers have trained long and well and know combat techniques that can easily put any one in to the arrest position. Even if the person does not comply, they know the techniques to get the job done.
These officers went above and beyond the necessary force required for such an arrest, plain and simple. It does not matter how “messed up” some one is, officers are not allowed to use excessive force unless their life is in danger. The dozens of kicks, punches, and wallops from their extendo weapon was not required. 6 police officers are more than able to apprehend an unarmed university student. The threat posed was minimal considering the amount of officers involved and the state of the suspect on the floor.
The officers mob mentality prevailed, as they all joined in on the beating. They yell “stop resisting!” to appear innocent, when in fact they are abusing the authority afforded to them by every single taxpayer. After all, police officers are civil servants. Also, one must take in to account that it is human nature to protect yourself from attack, so if the suspects arm wasn’t where it was supposed to be it was likely because he was trying to defend himself from a relentless cruel and brutal beating.
I imagine it will be extremely difficult to prove the force exhibited by the officers was required. The video evidence says it all. It should not matter much what occurred prior to the video, since at that point in time the suspect was already on the floor surrounded. The Special Investigations Unit should be contacted about the officers foul play.
I am vet technician. Veterinarians, zookeepers and wildlife protection officers must also deal with dangerous and lifethreatening situations. Vicious dogs are carefully restrained. No one in these professions beats animals into submission. That would be malpractice. If zookeepers can handle tigers, who can kill you, without violence, why are our officers trained in these brutal tactics? It seems the force is trained to “break” detainees into compliance and submission, rather than contain the situation (ie: transport them to a holding cell or the sealed back of the squad car). No, it’s not the individual officers, it’s the force, this IS their training. Call for reform. We should be appalled. Think about it.
GET THE FACTS STRAIGHT: marion takes it in the ass
I hope he does, I truly do. It really sucks being my age and realizing everything now, instead of when I should have, then. Thanks very much for the compliment and comment!
Word is he was on shrooms!
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This is disgusting. Period end of story.
When using submission methods since when does it require closed fists and repeated strikes. In self defence with one officer perhaps…but that certainly was not the case in this situation.
Come on guys. 6 trained guys…surely some of them have been trained in submission techniques.
They would have been much better to have broken this guys arm…and it would have been the civilians own fault for resisting arrest.
I don’t care if it was 10 to one and you broke both of this guys legs. These officers are not properly trained if they think that throwing strikes is a superior method to submission.
Pure police brutality. No excuses.
In the officers defence, in my opinion, this guy was resisting arrest and some force was required. I just really question why one officer repeatedly hit the victim. It was completely unecessary.