Canada News
“YouTube alert!” Officer yelled to try to get colleagues to stop beating suspect
CALGARY— A Calgary police officer says his colleagues’ arrest of a man became too violent and he yelled at them to try to stop them.
Constables James Othen, Kevin Humfrey and Michael Sandalack have all pleaded not guilty to assault causing bodily harm
They are accused of beating up Clayton Prince after he was pulled over while driving on July 30, 2016.
Const. Chris Harris testified Monday that he saw Othen and Humfrey repeatedly strike Prince as he lie on the ground with his hands on his head.
Harris told court he didn’t think Prince was resisting arrest and it appeared Prince was in significant pain.
Prince testified he was paranoid and fled police because he’d been smoking marijuana and was driving without a license.
The 35-year-old man ran through a restaurant and then into trees, where police caught him. Prince said the officers kicked and punched him repeatedly, leaving him with broken ribs, a collapsed lung and cuts and bruises.
“It was something I don’t want to ever experience again,” Prince said outside court.
Harris testified he yelled out, “YouTube alert” to try to get the officers to stop because he thought the arrest had become too violent and he was afraid someone was filming it.
Dashcam video of police chasing after Prince was shown in court. It showed Prince disappearing out of frame, then Prince is brought back to the cruiser, his face appearing bloody.