The B.C. RCMP issued a press release Friday evening stating that it had requested the New Westminster Police Department to conduct an external investigation into an incident the night before in which the arrests of two senior citizens following a contentious strata meeting were caught on video.
According to the releae from the RCMP, NWPD "will investigate the totality of incident, including the actions of the Coquitlam RCMP."
The arrests of a man and woman happened at around 10:30 p.m. Oct. 27 following a vote at a strata meeting held at the Best Western Plus Coquitlam Inn Convention Centre on North Road. The video shows a Mountie dragging a man down a flight of stairs as he apparently resists arrest as well as another cop attempting to handcuff an elderly woman as a child screamed, held on to her and flailed at the officer.
The nine-minute video was shot by Victor Kim and posted on YouTube by dailyhive.com.
In a statement to The Tri-City News, Coquitlam RCMP Supt. Sean Maloney said the strata AGM got out of hand and "some parties in attendance were potentially fighting."
The meeting ended when the officers showed up but the man and woman refused to leave, according to the statement. After their arrest, they were assessed by BC Ambulance paramedics.
While no complaint has been received by Coquitlam RCMP, Maloney said he understands the public concern the video may cause. He has since started a review of the officers' actions.
"This review will also include looking further into the reasons behind our attendance," he said in a statement.
A report will also be forwarded to Crown counsel to consider criminal charges against the man and woman.
Here is the full text of the statement from Supt. Maloney:
"I have been made aware of a video which captured an interaction between an elderly couple and members of the RCMP. A preliminary review of the video confirmed the involvement of Coquitlam RCMP members.
"I can confirm that on October 27, 2016, at 10:32 pm, police were called to the Best Western located on North Road in Coquitlam after it was reported that a strata annual general meeting had gotten out of hand and that some parties in attendance were potentially fighting. It appears that upon police attendance, a decision was made that it would be in the best interest of all involved to conclude the meeting.
"Those in attendance were informed of the decision and allegedly an elderly couple refused to leave the scene. They were subsequently arrested and assessed by Emergency Health Services to ensure their well being. Police are continuing their investigation and will be forwarding a report to Crown Counsel for their assessment of Criminal Charges.
"At this time I can tell you there has been no public complaint made to the Coquitlam RCMP. However, I respect and understand that the video may cause concern to the public. As the Officer in Charge of Coquitlam RCMP Detachment, I have initiated a review into the actions of the police officers involved. This review will also include looking further into the reasons behind our attendance.
"I want to acknowledge up front that the Coquitlam RCMP relies on the trust and cooperation of our community. Policing is and must be a partnership with the community. I ask for the community's understanding to give time for a fulsome review to take place, so I can make an informed decision about the next steps."
