A security video showing a police takedown in Prince George is causing a public stir over the tactics used.
The video shows what appears to be the arrest of two people in a pickup truck by multiple members of the RCMP including a police dog.
The silent footage shows the dog violently pull the driver out and, once the driver was on the ground, continue to pull and bite at the suspect for almost a minute while the human member intercedes with multiple blows to the suspect's head and upper body.
Meanwhile, the passenger of the pickup opened the door and exited the vehicle on their own, then was set upon by first one, then two, and then a third Mountie.
Although the camera cannot see the passenger at any point, the three police members can be seen kicking and hand-striking the suspect, sometimes simultaneously.
There is no sound recording for the video.
It is not known if the suspects are speaking, and it is not clear enough to determine if the suspects are passively complying or offering resistance.
While the body language of the arresting officers looks vigorous, it is not clear if the blows landed with force.
Nonetheless, the flurry of the takedown has caused some who have seen it to wonder if that level of force was necessary. Others have suggested it was normal course of duty under the circumstances.
The footage was released first to Global News' Vancouver TV station by a member of the public - apparently by someone who had the security camera trained on the alley where the incident occurred.
It was not provided to police in the immediate aftermath of the incident, which happened weeks ago, and the Prince George RCMP allege they found out about the video only a few hours before The Citizen was made aware.
The acting officer in charge of the Prince George RCMP detachment, Staff Sgt. Perry Smith, issued the following statement to The Citizen upon our inquiry:
"The RCMP takes concerns about member conduct very seriously. This video will be reviewed, along with the mandatory use of force reporting that has occurred, to ensure that our tactics and actions comply with training, policy, and member conduct expectations.
"On the afternoon of Wednesday March 16th, 2016, the Prince George RCMP were made aware of a video capturing an arrest by Prince George RCMP officers of two occupants of stolen pickup truck. Unfortunately the video does not allow the viewer to hear our commands or the suspects' verbal responses.
"This incident occurred on the morning of February 18th, 2016 at approximately 6:30 AM and was part of an investigation into a stolen vehicle that was reported on February 17th, 2016.
"The officers contained the suspects in an alley and converged to make arrests.
"The suspects failed to comply with police commands prompting police to use physical control and a Police Service Dog to make the arrests.
"The suspects did not require medical attention and have been charged criminally."
The video can be viewed on Global News' website online at: pgc.cc/1Ws0KcL
