A video capturing the forceful apprehension of a man in Saskatchewan, who was subsequently released without charges, has garnered significant attention on various social media platforms. The Saskatchewan Serious Incident Response Team (SIRT), responsible for overseeing law enforcement actions, is conducting an inquiry following the man’s injury during the Battlefords RCMP operation on October 6.
According to a statement from the RCMP, officers attempted to intercept a vehicle that entered a property on Mosquito Grizzly Bear’s Head Lean Man First Nation around 1 p.m. CST. The First Nation is situated approximately 30 kilometers south of the Battlefords. The driver of the vehicle, who was found to possess a suspended license and an outstanding warrant, was taken into custody without incident.
Two passengers, a man, and a woman were present in the vehicle. The male passenger declined to exit when requested by the officers. Subsequently, law enforcement forcibly removed him from the vehicle, detained him, and requested emergency medical services for further evaluation.
The man was subsequently released without being charged. However, it was later discovered that he required additional medical attention, as indicated in the RCMP report. Dee-ann Sakascootch, the man’s sister-in-law, recorded the incident using her phone and shared it on social media. In her post, she mentioned that the man suffered a broken arm during the altercation and subsequent handcuffing.
The video footage displays a man seated in the rear of a car appearing disoriented and unsteady. Police officers positioned on either side of the vehicle’s back seat were informed by Sakascootch about the man’s medical condition, including his susceptibility to seizures. Despite the explanation, the officers informed her that the man was being arrested for obstruction.
“We will consider his disabilities and handle him appropriately; however, he is currently under arrest,” one of the officers stated calmly. Shortly after, the situation escalated off-camera, with an officer accusing the man of assaulting a law enforcement officer.
Following this, the officer retrieved a Taser, and both officers proceeded to extract the man from the vehicle forcibly. One officer secured his feet while the other grasped his left arm. The man was pulled out of the vehicle, resulting in an apparent arm injury, causing him to fall to the ground and clutch his arm in pain.
He was informed of his arrest for obstruction and resisting arrest before being handcuffed and helped to his feet by the officers. The family declined to comment on the incident when contacted by CBC News. Meanwhile, Mosquito Grizzly Bear’s Head Lean Man First Nation opted not to provide a statement, with Chief Tanya Stone mentioning that the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations would issue a media release in the coming week.
Given the circumstances surrounding the man’s injury, SIRT was notified to investigate the details of the arrest.
