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A video that was recorded by Frank Collins, and posted to YouTube by the Saskatoon advocacy group Indigenous Joint Action Coalition and Black Lives Matter YXE is not a complete picture of what happened, says the president of the Saskatoon Police Association, Dean Pringle.
Speaking to 650 CKOM’s John Gormley, Pringle made the unusual move of talking about one of the officer’s involved in Evan Penner’s arrest Saturday, July 4. Penner was identified by several community members.
The six and a half minute video shows an Asian police officer sitting on top of an Indigenous man, as the man cries out for help and is uncooperative with police. The video shows the officer punching, pepper spraying and tasering Penner before several other officers arrive to help arrest him.
Pringle says the first officer was responding to a suspicious person call where a male was reported to be “half naked, using a garden hose to wash himself off.”
“The officer in question attended to the house. He did locate the male in the back yard on the deck. The officer politely asked the person if he lived at the residence. The male was hesitant to answer, but eventually said, ‘No.’ This person then refused to speak any further with the officer.”
Pringle alleges the man tried to run away and a confrontation ensued. He says the suspect grabbed the officer’s taser, part of the officer’s duty belt broke, and the officer used his pepper spray.
He then alleges the officer was hit in the face by the suspect who also tried to bite the officer while ripping the ammunition magazines from the officer’s belt. Pringle also alleges the man tried hitting the police officer in the face with the magazines.
Twenty-seven-year-old Penner has since been charged with assaulting a police officer, assaulting a peace officer, mischief, and possession of a controlled substance.
Pringle added that he believed Penner was the subject of at least one or two other calls the same day.
“Perspective here. Earlier in the day, there had been a call with the same male where he had exposed himself to a member of the community. This person, when followed up with, did not want charges.”
Pringle also took the rare step of discussing the officer’s background.
“The officer himself felt that this was really important to know. This officer is Korean and he is a person of colour. His spouse is Indigenous and his police partner is Indigenous. Further, he attends cultural ceremonies with his work partner to better understand the Indigenous community.”
Pringle says the officer was within his lawful execution of duties and he has not been placed on leave pending the review of the officer’s initial use of force and response is completed. Rather, he was given a couple of days to recover physically and mentally from the incident, and is now on his days off.
Black Lives Matter YXE and The Indigenous Joint Action Coalition are calling for all officers involved in Evan Penner’s arrest on July 4 to be fired immediately.
A statement from the Saskatoon Police Service Monday, indicated that the Saskatchewan Public Complaints Commission would independently review the incident, and that Chief Troy Cooper had spoken to the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Corrections and Policing to ensure appropriate oversight.
“The Saskatoon Police Association unequivocally supports this member,” Pringle added.
