Investigation launched into violent Montreal takedown seen in viral video

MONTREAL – An investigation has been launched after a video posted to social media showed a violent takedown of a Black person at a Montreal metro station.

The video, which has been viewed over 43,500 times on Twitter, was posted over the weekend and is tagged as being at STM Jean-Talon station.

In it, two metro officers can be seen pinning a woman to the ground. One officer is punching the pinned person while bystanders try to pull him away.

You can hear screams in the video but it’s unclear if it’s from the person being hit or if someone else is shouting.

Mayor Valerie Plante took to Twitter Monday calling the video disturbing.

The public transit authority told CityNews that the video doesn’t depict the entire course of events and that officers had originally tried to de-escalate.

The STM says officers approached someone who crossed the transit turnstiles without showing a valid fare. When questioned, the person refused to identify themselves or cooperate.

A retired Mountie and a social justice advocate says the interaction could’ve ended there.

“[A] 3.50 cent fair vs the whole intervention that ensued,” said Alain Babineau, a retired RCMP staff sergeant.

“[And that] not only potentially threatened the life of the individual in question but also the officers. Right. We are in a serious public health situation right now and any type of close contact with any individual is very dangerous.”

Officers say a discussion with the person in question lasted several minutes but the person tried to run away at which point officers restrained them.

“The individual behaved aggressively, resisted actively, and bit our employees hard enough to draw blood, notably refusing to release their bite,” reads a statement from the STM.

The STM says police are pressing charges of assault causing bodily harm against the person police took down.

“I think it highlights the need for officers to be sensitive to people potentially in crisis mode, or with mental issues or people in a vulnerable state,” said Babineau.

The STM statement goes on to say an internal investigation will look at the force used in the takedown, but adds its inspectors apply “the model currently used by the majority of police forces in Canada”.

“Becoming a special constable will also come with additional training, additional responsibility, and first and foremost an outside body to review these kinds of situations,” said Babineau.

-with files from Sacha Obas

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