A video of two Prince Rupert RCMP officers dealing with a young man on Saturday night has gone viral and has resulted in further investigation on how the police handled the situation.
The two-minute video had been viewed 29,000 times as of Nov. 16 regarding the incident that happened on Nov. 12 at approximately 12:50 a.m. At that time, police were called to 700 block of 2nd Avenue West after there were reports of a fight. The RCMP stated in a press release that they did not see anyone fighting but did find a 16-year-old in need of medical attention.
"The RCMP called an ambulance for the male and upon their arrival he allegedly became combative and tried to fight them along with the police," Sgt. Dave Uppal said in the press release.
An 18-year-old female was also taken into custody, the RCMP press release stated she had become combative and allegedly assaulted the police while obstructing the ambulance attendants.
A bystander caught the scene on his phone and uploaded it to Facebook. The RCMP became aware of the video on Nov. 14 and continue collect information and witness statements. In an updated press release on Nov. 15 the police stated they have a few witness videos that range from two to eight minutes.
The Prince Rupert Detachment Commander, Inspector Blake Ward, said that they “appreciate that concerns about the actions of police were raised with us directly on Nov. 14, 2016, which has resulted in the launch of a public complaint investigation. The complaint investigation is progressing and we remain committed to provide the findings to the complainants moving forward.”
Prince Rupert RCMP ask if anyone has information to contact them at 250-627-0700 or Crime stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).