video of Vancouver POLICE shoving disabled woman to the ground

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Police shoving woman on video raises questions
Last Updated: Thursday, July 22, 2010 | 11:40 AM PT Comments282Recommend154
CBC News

The B.C. Civil Liberties Association is demanding an explanation from the Vancouver Police Department after a surveillance video surfaced showing an officer pushing a disabled woman to the ground.

Hastings Street, Vancouver, from BCCLA staff on Vimeo.

The video was taken at the beginning of the month on the sidewalk on Hastings St, near the crowded United We Can recycling centre.

The woman, who is suffering from multiple sclerosis, appears to brush an officer, who is walking with two others.

The officer then shoves the woman to the ground and the three stand over her, before walking away, leaving her lying on the ground.

There is no sound on the video, so it's not known if the woman threatened the officers, but David Eby, of the civil liberties association, says there appears to have been no reason for the shove.

"We imagine she would be hauled off and hand-cuffed if she said something threatening to the officers. Its clear that they didn't see grounds for arrest, but even if they did it is hard to imagine that the force that they used was appropriate.

"She looks like she weighs about 90 pounds in the video. She is clearly disabled. We in fact know that she does have MS and there was no need for any use of force," Eby said.

Eby said such an incident wouldn't happen in Kerrisdale or Point Grey, and it shouldn't happen in the Downtown Eastside.

The Vancouver Police Department said they were preparing a response to the allegations.

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