Not turning on bodycam ‘possible misconduct’ by officer during Brampton takedown, police watchdog says

Ontario’s police watchdog group says there was “possible misconduct” by a Peel Regional Police officer who only turned on his bodycam after a violent takedown that left a suspect with a broken nose.

The incident happened on March 17 while a Peel police officer was on patrol in a marked cruiser when an automatic licence plate recognition device detected a stolen vehicle parked outside the Hasty Market on Queen Street East, the Special Investigations Unit says.

The vehicle was a Jeep Wrangler, and the SIU says the officer on scene radioed for the assistance from another officer.

The Jeep’s windows were heavily tinted, but officers determined that there was a male in the driver’s seat of the vehicle. One of the officers positioned their police cruiser behind the Jeep to prevent an escape while the other officer went to the driver’s door and opened it.

That’s when the officer struck the man several times, including punches to the suspect’s head and upper body area. Police said the suspect gripped the steering wheel and resisted being pulled out of the vehicle.

The SIU says the man was taken into custody and suffered a broken nose during the takedown.

And while investigators say there’s no evidence the officer’s strikes were excessive or unlawful, the officer committed “possible misconduct” under the Police Code of Conduct for not activating his body-worn camera until after the incident was over.

The SIU says the officer “had ample opportunity” to turn his camera on prior to approaching the driver’s door of the Jeep “but failed to do so, only turning it on after the Complainant had been removed from the vehicle.”

“His failure to do so meant the SIU investigation was without benefit of the best evidence of what transpired in the Jeep,” the SIU said in its decision.

SIU Director Joseph Martino said he is referring this matter to Peel Regional Police for review and to the Law Enforcement Complaints Agency.

The SIU is Ontario’s police watchdog agency that investigates police incidents in Ontario involving death, serious injury, the discharge of a firearm, or allegations of sexual assault.