June 20, 2020
Today, a video surfaced on social media, which shows an unidentified police officer assaulting a civilian during a trespassing investigation in Oakville. The officer is seen throwing the suspect’s bag around, and he shoves him multiple times.
This event prompted swift backlash from both the Halton Police Department and the Mayor of Oakville - Rob Burton. The Mayor confirms that the officer has been suspended and stated that “The behaviour displayed in the video does not conform to the standards and the training of the Halton Police Service and I condemn it without reservation.”
This is not the first time police in Ontario have engaged in unlawful or violent acts against innocent civilians. In May, Toronto Police were accused of throwing Regis Paquet off her 24th floor balcony, murdering her.
On top of that, over 8 Indigenous people, including Regis Paquet, have been allegedly murdered by the police since April 8, 2020.
Furthermore, footage recently released shows police in Ajax assaulting an elderly couple.
After George Floyd’s murder in Minnesota, and subsequent riots, this issue has been gaining an increasing amount of public attention. The idea of police overstepping their bounds, both legally and ethically, is something that needs to be addressed.
Fortunately, the Police have been responding, and hopefully the investigation of this recent assault will be a step in the right direction.
Article by: Mark Slapinski