Teen accuses Winnipeg police of assault

CBC News

The family of an aboriginal teenager have accused Winnipeg police of assaulting the boy and filed a complaint with the province's Law Enforcement Review Agency.

Police have charged the boy, 16, with assaulting an officer and resisting arrest following the incident on Sunday evening, charges the family have dismissed as outrageous.

"He's 16 years old and he had never been in trouble with the law in his life," the boy's father said Tuesday. "Why would all of a sudden he start assaulting police officers?"

Because the boy has been charged, he cannot be identified under provisions of the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Winnipeg police confirmed they have received a complaint of excessive force.

"I can confirm that there has been an allegation of excessive force and that our professional standards unit are currently investigating at this time," Const. Jacqueline Chaput told CBC News on Tuesday.

"They'll speak with witnesses, they'll speak with the people making the allegations, they'll conduct interviews with the officers involved, and submit a report once their investigation is complete."

Chaput said she couldn't say what will happen to the officers while the investigation is underway.

Car stopped by police

At a news conference Tuesday, the boy recalled getting a ride home with a family friend and another person after a birthday party at about 9:30 p.m. Sunday, when their car was stopped by police in the city's north end.

He alleged that after an officer had a short conversation with him, the officer pulled him out of the car and began beating him.

"He told me to put my [expletive] leg back in the car. The way he looked at me was in total disgust … just the eye contact he gave me," the boy said.

"Usually I don't receive that treatment from anyone; I don't allow that to happen to me. I don't care who you are, what kind of rank you have, you do not have that right to swear at me and show disrespect in that way. So I told him, 'Say please.'

"That's when he told me, 'Get the [expletive] out of the vehicle' and he grabbed me by the sweater and he elbowed me in the face and they threw me to the ground," the boy said.

"Both officers were kneeing me constantly. At one point, I believe one of the officers kneed me in the mouth three times consecutively."

'I did not fight it'

The boy said he did not resist the officers.

"I did not fight it. They are police officers. I wanted to, but they're police officers. I can't fight back. So basically I went completely limp," he said.

The driver of the vehicle told reporters she assumed police had pulled her over for a routine traffic check.

Sobbing, she recalled: "I went up to them and said, 'What are you doing? This is just a child, he's only 16. There's no reason for this. You don't have to hurt him.' And they did not listen to me, they kept kneeing him."

The teen alleged the attack was racially motivated.

"These two older white men were beating on me, unprovoked," he said.