A disciplinary hearing focused on the actions of an Edmonton Police officer ten years ago has found the officer guilty of using excessive force.
The hearing revolved around an incident that took place in October 2002, when Constable Mike Wasylyshen was attempting to arrest Randy Fryingpan, who was 16 at the time.
In that incident, Wasylyshen was found to have deployed his Taser at Fryingpan eight times in 68 seconds.
In earlier testimony, it was found Fryingpan was passed out in the back of a vehicle. He testified that he had no memory of the incident, because he blacked out.
Wasylyshen testified Fryingpan was aggressive and threatening.
The presiding Officer Paul Manuel disagreed with Wasylyshen’s account, and said it was nothing more than an excuse to justify his actions.
In his ruling, Manuel said:
“How could Randy Fryingpan be expected to comply? He was being pulled at, yelled at, and tasered,” Manuel stated.
“Was the use of force necessary? I found that it wasn’t.”
The hearing will resume on November 2, when arguments will be held to determine what kind of penalty the officer will face.
With files from Serena Mah
