New Delhi: Canada’s Peel Police on Thursday issued a statement clarifying the altercation between a police official and protestors during an alleged Khalistani attack at Brampton’s Hindu Mandir saying that the cop was not in wrong during the protest and “acted within the lawful execution of his duties”. Videos doing the rounds on social media showed an officer allegedly throwing punches at a protester, raising questions about police use of force.
Notably, earlier this month, a group of protestors holding banners in support of Khalistan disrupted a consular event attended by Indian officials at Brampton’s Hindu Mandir. The protestors allegedly thrashed people with sticks outside the temple. The incident was condemned, including by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau.
While sharing a bodycam footage of a police officer who was involved in the altercation outside the temple, the regional police said that an investigation into the altercation had found that the officer was “attempting to disarm an individual who had refused to surrender their weapon and became confrontational.” “During the protest, it became apparent that tensions were escalating, and public safety became a concern. For the safety of everyone present, a determination was made to seize any items that could be used as a weapon,” Peel Regional Police said in a news release, according to News18.
In the two-minute video, the police detailed the results of the investigation and explained the context for the video circulated on social media. “What the video doesn’t show is the officer identifying a protester to seize a weapon that he’s holding. The protester then retreats into the crowd and he, along with others, begins to physically resist the officer. The officer’s body-worn camera, which captured the interaction, was reviewed,” Const. Tyler Bell-Morena was quoted as saying.
In the footage, the officer can be seen approaching a man who appears to be holding a stick and attempting to pull it from his hands. The officer is not immediately successful and a short altercation ensues. After the object is seized from the protestor, police begin to disperse the crowd and separate the two groups of protesters.