University of Western Ontario Campus Community Police and London Police officers used appropriate force in an Oct. 14 incident involving the arrest of a 22-year-old student in the Social Sciences Centre, says London Police Chief Murray Faulkner.
Faulkner presented the results of a review into the confrontation, part of which was caught on video, to examine whether the actions taken by London and campus police was in keeping with provincial standards and regulations. The report and timeline of what happened, part of a seven-and-a-half-page document, was made public during a press conference at police headquarters today (Feb. 2).
London Police Chief Murray Faulkner
The review included the campus police special constables involved in the incident because they receive their status and training through London Police Service.
“It is my opinion the officers used an appropriate level of force based upon their training and use of force model that is used in the province of Ontario,” he said. “Use of force is never pretty.
“We are not authorized to use excessive use, so that’s what has to be explained … I am satisfied there was no excessive use of force.”
He said the officers acted according to their use of force training, as set by provincial guidelines. Communication is also key to the use of force technique, he noted, adding the officers evoked the appropriate forms of communication.
The review was conducted by the immediate supervisors of the London police officers involved; members of the London police Use of Force training branch; the London police inspector of human resources; a separate trained Use of Force instructor with London Police Service not involved in the original assessment; and the London Police Deputy Chief of Operation, who made a recommendation to Faulkner.
Faulkner said the video of the incident which was distributed on YouTube only captured a portion of the event and doesn’t tell the whole story.
“Even though the lens of the camera gives you a perspective, it’s not the whole story.”
The student involved in the incident received several dozen blows to the body by a police baton and pepper spray was used, while police made multiple attempts to subdue him on two different floors of the Social Science Centre, where the incident occurred. Officers reported the individual exhibited signs of “excited delirium.”
The suspect was arrested and an ambulance was called to the scene.
The 22-year-old was taken to University Hospital for medical attention. When officers spoke to the individual later that evening, “he had no recollection of this incident at all.”
When asked how the video might have affected public perception of police officers and their use of force, Faulkner said he is hopeful the review will help to complete the picture of what happened.
“Perception is always something we have to combat,” he said.