EPS officer’s use of force in downtown arrest under investigation

Alberta’s police watchdog is investigating the use of force by an Edmonton police officer during the arrest of a man in the downtown core that led to a head injury and potential brain bleed.

On Oct. 14 around 1:30 a.m., two Edmonton Police Service (EPS) officers who had already arrested a different man were parked outside a building on 106 Street and 107 Avenue when another man approached them. A news release from the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) said the man appeared drunk to the officers.

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ASIRT said the man approached the officers’ car and tried to speak to them at the driver’s window. The passenger side officer then got out of the car and spoke to the man before telling him he was under arrest.

CCTV in the parking lot of the building captured the man pulling away. The officer then took the man to the ground, where his head and face hit the pavement.

He was taken to the University of Alberta hospital where a CT scan showed a brain bleed, but ASIRT said it’s unclear if the damage was from that night or from an earlier “incident” on Sept. 27.

ASIRT is now investigating the use of force and said no additional information will be released. Investigators want to identify witnesses who may have seen the confrontation between the man and the EPS officer.

Anyone who may have information about the incident or who was in the area can contact ASIRT investigators at 403-592-4306.