Knife image, video of woman holding it prior to being shoved by officer released by Edmonton police
An Edmonton Police Service officer who shoved a woman to the ground before arresting her in an act caught on camera did his job properly, the acting chief told police commissioners Thursday afternoon.
EPS also released during the meeting an image of the knife and surveillance video of a woman holding it prior to the officer arriving, after a protest and demands from the public.
The arrest happened last Thursday afternoon in the area of 100 Street and 106 Avenue.
"This is how we train and expect our officers to respond to circumstances where a weapon is reported or observed. This officer did his job," Deputy Chief Devin Laforce said.
"Without the entire context of the situation, seeing the video clip can be alarming. However, the full circumstances of the event deemed it a reasonable response from the officer."
The officer, who has not been named, was flagged down on the streets of Chinatown and asked to respond to a "knife fight" in the street, police said.
The officer arrived within "seconds," which is what council and the public want from officers, EPS Chief of Staff Justin Krikler added.
The officer had reason to believe the woman was "brandishing a knife" during a dispute with another person, Laforce said, and the video supports that, showing two women in the middle of the street.
Laforce said he was happy to stand by the officer and his actions and was glad that no one was seriously injured.
"Use of force is an unpleasant reality of policing, but one required to gain control of a situation and prevent further risk to the individual, the public and the officer," Laforce said.
The acting chief told reporters that buying body and vehicle cameras for EPS officers is "an ongoing discussion" but no decision has been made yet.
Police have not released the name of the woman involved because she was not charged. She was intoxicated at the time of the push, police said, and she was released after being given a meal.
Several police commissioners questioned officers about the push, but none of them clearly stated they felt it was wrong.
"Houselessness of Indigenous women has tripled since pre-COVID. So we are going to see more and more incidents unless we strategize collectively on how we might solve these complex problems," said police commissioner Jodi Calahoo Stonehouse, who thanked the officers in the room for their service.
Nina Laderoute, an Indigenous woman who attended the meeting out of concern with the officer's actions, said the new video didn't change her stance that he acted with more force than necessary.
"I would want someone to stop me from hurting someone, I would not want them to commit an assault on me when they think I might hurt someone, before I have lunged or made any kind of physical movement to harm," she told reporters after the meeting.
Laderoute was among several community members who protested at EPS headquarters. At a rally on Sunday some called the shove "gross behaviour."
"He's darn lucky she never hit her head and died right there on the sidewalk," said Judith Gale with the Bear Clan Beaver Hills House.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Diego Romero and Joe Scarpelli
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.