Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.
An Alberta family is asking RCMP to explain its use of force against an Indigenous man after he was thrown to the ground and knocked unconscious this week.
The incident captured on video happened on Tuesday, October 1 at Lac La Biche, located about 200 km northeast of Edmonton.
Dennis Boucher, 43, was walking towards an RCMP vehicle and put his hands up in what appeared to be a sign of surrender.
The video shows the Mountie approaching Boucher, before slamming him to the ground and removing his hands behind his back.
“I wasn’t sure if he was alive,” his mother, Christine Boucher, told Global News on Thursday.
“It’s something no mother wants to go through… no matter how old they are.”
The mother has security video from the family home, which shows an earlier interaction between her son and the officer. He said Boucher came home drunk and was trying to get into his home.
“I have a door keypad and he couldn’t get in. The next thing I see is a police officer walking down my driveway towards him. And as you can see in the video, Dennis goes with him. And there was no fighting,” he said. “There was no demand for all this.”
Christine is concerned about the use of force on her son and how his head hit the ground.
“That is not acceptable. I’m not going to let him go,” she said. “No matter how old my son is, I’ll stand up for him.”
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Boucher is now recovering at home with a black eye and soreness all over his body, his mother said, adding that he is also Tasred.
Dennis Boucher, 43, after being injured during an arrest in Lac La Biche, Alta. on Tuesday, October 1, 2024.
Supplied
Christine said her son was charged with assaulting a peace officer and resisting a peace officer, court documents confirmed.
The former police officer and criminal from Norquest College, Dan Jones, said that the video showed a significant use of force, but pointed out that it only showed part of the brawl.
“It’s ugly, but it’s one of those things you need to know before and after,” he said.
“You need to know the context.”
“I agree with the mother, I understand what she is saying. Her son looks cooperative at that moment and then he is pulled down very hard. It’s a matter of whether we know all the facts and we don’t at the moment, but it doesn’t look pretty.”
Jones also noted that the video does not capture audio of the interaction between Boucher and the Mountie.
“That’s always the struggle with these partial videos. But certainly a significant use of force, which clearly caused the person to lose consciousness or get injured.”
Shakira Oar lives across the street from the Boucher family. She said she started recording video after hearing shouting outside and did not see Boucher attack the officer.
“I heard a commotion. Like, I heard talking, I heard shouting. So that’s what caught my attention,” said Oar.
Oar said her neighbor was unconscious for at least 15 minutes. He brought the video to Christine, concerned about Boucher’s interactions with the RCMP.
“We shouldn’t have to feel afraid to ask for help from the RCMP, when we experience all this abuse and neglect from them. The services are supposed to serve and protect us, but we don’t feel that at all,” Oar said.
Oar is also aboriginal and said the incident which takes place right after the National Truth and Reconciliation Day is particularly upsetting.
“I’m still shocked about the situation because it wasn’t right.”
Alberta’s Serious Incident Response Team said it has not been directed to investigate an issue at Lac La Biche.
“If there was no significant injury and the person was not in hospital, ASIRT will not investigate that. That remains within the organization of the jurisdiction,” said Jones. “It’s not a massive significant injury and it’s not a shooting or a death.”
Boucher’s mother has made a formal complaint to the RCMP and wants the officer involved removed from duty.
“He doesn’t belong in the force if he can’t handle his job.”
As of publication, the RCMP had not responded to requests for comment from Global News.
& copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
(Except translation, this story has not been edited by achinews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
source link https://globalnews.ca/news/10793634/lac-la-biche-rcmp-use-of-force/
