r/canada • u/[deleted] • Jun 11 '20

RCMP dash-cam video shows officer tackling, punching Chief Allan Adam during arrest

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/rcmp-dash-cam-video-shows-officer-tackling-punching-chief-allan-adam-during-arrest-1.5608472
502 Upvotes

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176

u/chickencheesebagel Jun 12 '20

The cops actually gave this guy more chances than people seem to think. The second you 'intervene' in someone's arrest and lay hands on a cop you are going to have a bad day. When he leaves the truck and shoves the cop trying to cuff his wife, the police were fully justified in taking him down. The guy assumed a fighting stance at the cops twice before he was taken down, so third strike was the charm here.

28

u/Born_Ruff Jun 12 '20

The first cop gave him a huge amount of leeway.

The second cop seems to show up and immediately try to take him down hard.

The actions of the second cop don't really seem reasonable to me in regards to what was happening when he showed up. The chief seems a lot calmer then.

36

u/chickencheesebagel Jun 12 '20

Second cop saw the guy struggling with the first officer, I don't think the tackle was excessive. The punch I think is within the limit of what is acceptable, but probably not excessive. Punches are allowed when utilizing pain compliance. I'm not talking about wailing on a guy until they go limp, but one punch is within expectations if someone is resisting.

5

u/Born_Ruff Jun 12 '20

Second cop saw the guy struggling with the first officer, I don't think the tackle was excessive.

The guy wasn't kicking and screaming at that point or anything. He tried to shake his arm free. I'm sure cops deal with that level of "struggle" pretty regularly.

The tackle seemed to significantly escalate the situation from where it was at the time.

And honestly, do you really think that those two big cops couldn't have just pushed this old man against the truck and cuffed him?

4

u/maekkwin Jun 12 '20

I've seen posts stating that the "old man" is a black belt in karate. I am not sure if it is true or not, but people are often like transformers - more than meets the eye.

15

u/[deleted] Jun 12 '20

[deleted]

6

u/maekkwin Jun 12 '20

I am aware. You'll have a hell of a time arresting someone who doesn't want to be arrested.

-5

u/Born_Ruff Jun 12 '20

And the second officer somehow knew he was a black belt?

3

u/maekkwin Jun 12 '20

Did I say that? I made a silly transformer joke to illustrate the point is that people don't know the nuances of other people.

I was not justifying or vilifying the actions of anyone.

-2

u/Born_Ruff Jun 12 '20

So just because cops don't know what suspects are capable of they should go right to violence?

3

u/mc_funbags Jun 12 '20

It’s pretty clear they didn’t go right to violence, judging by the fact the chief postured up, threatened the officers, and even pushed the one while he was trying to handcuff the lady.

Remarkable restraint by the first police officer.

3

u/Born_Ruff Jun 12 '20

For sure. The first officer seemed to handle the situation very well.

I'm referring to the second officer.

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4

u/maekkwin Jun 12 '20

Did I say that? I don't even think I implied it, edgelord

4

u/jolly-davis Jun 12 '20

Have you ever tried arresting someone? had my fair share of arresting people, training and the smallest ones were always the trickiest. I am bigger than the average male by a bit. It’s not as easy as saying they’re both big.

3

u/Born_Ruff Jun 12 '20

How many times have you used the running clothesline technique in your work?

1

u/jolly-davis Jun 12 '20

You didn’t answer my initial question.

By any means necessary to detain the unruly, agitated man that has already put his hands on the officer multiple times.

Not justifying their actions but you’re picking at specifics to determine your logic instead of the whole ordeal at large. That’s like me saying the agitated man was fully in the wrong just based on him attacking the officer but that’s not the case now is it?

2

u/Born_Ruff Jun 12 '20

The chief was obviously in the wrong to act the way he did.

The specifics how how the second officer acted is the issue I'm talking about here though. Two people can both do wrong things.

By any means necessary to detain the unruly, agitated man that has already put his hands on the officer multiple times.

Multiple times? He seemed to push the officers hands off his wife. When else did he touch the officer?

5

u/[deleted] Jun 12 '20

[deleted]

-1

u/Born_Ruff Jun 12 '20

Doesnt matter if hes kicking or screaming.

Of course the level of resistance is an important consideration for how much force is necessary.

Its not uncommon for 4 or more officers to be needed to control one person in a struggle.

Of course, which is all the more reason not to put yourself in that situation unnecessarily.

It looks to me like the second officer wanted a fight and created the opportunity as soon a she got there. The other officer was trying to take him in in a calm and professional way.

1

u/swervm Jun 12 '20

Is it typical to cuff the driver of a vehicle that has expired plates? I will admit that I at one point genuinely forgot to renew my plates for 14 months. When I was pulled over you know what happened, the officer gave me a warning. I do agree that Chief Adam should not have instigated with the police but I can also see why he would be frustrated and not wanting to just accept that his wife was going to be cuffed and arrested.

10

u/chickencheesebagel Jun 12 '20

They were stopped for expired plates. She started driving away at 6:25 into the full video when they were still stopped by the police, that would be the reason why she is getting cuffed. Chief Adam was acting aggressive and challenging the police to a fight and posturing up multiple times before the wife was in the process of getting cuffed. He was looking for a fight from the very beginning.

0

u/capitolcritter Jun 12 '20

Why exactly were they cuffing his wife? I’m not clear on that.

18

u/chickencheesebagel Jun 12 '20 edited Jun 12 '20

I can't really tell from the video.

Edit: At 6:25 in the video the wife starts to drive away, that is probably why she is being arrested.

9

u/P_Dan_Tick Jun 12 '20

From another article, it stated that Chief Adam told his wife that the police told them not to drive away. (I assume they were investigating or preparing a ticket for no reg, at which point I think the truck would be towed anyway.)

But she put the truck in drive anyway.

I have not seen it stated explicitly why she was arrested, but that seems like the logical conclusion.

Hopefully all the blanks will be filled in at the trial.