A video posted to Facebook over the weekend appears to show a Thunder Bay police officer slapping and holding down a teenager on a gurney outside an apartment building.
“That’s enough. Do not spit on me,” the officer can be heard yelling immediately after what looks and sounds to be a hard slap to the head 13 seconds into the video.
“You do not spit on me,” the officer continues to yell as her right hand covers the victim’s mouth, pushing down with force.
The 21-second video starts from the outside steps of an apartment building where a paramedic and officer are responding to a person who is laying on a stretcher, wrapped in blankets.
“I don’t know why she decided to start being combative here,” the officer is heard saying at the beginning of the video. The officer’s leg is visible standing next to the gurney.
“You’re just going to the hospital, you’re going to the hospital,” she says to the young girl, who is 17-years-old according to Latisha Hardy, who posted the video to her Facebook account.
Nishnawbe Aski Nation confirmed the teen is from Nibinimik First Nation and student of the Matawa Learning Centre.
The person who recorded the video wants to remain anonymous.
“F**k you,” the teenager can be heard replying back.
That’s when the video, which is pointed towards the ground, pans up just in time to see the officer strike the young woman.
“We are outraged by the actions of the officer depicted in this video. We do not know all of the details that led to this incident, but there is simply no justification for such violent and callous treatment of a youth in a defenseless position,” said NAN Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler in a press release. “Such actions by the police, whatever the cause, must be fully independent authority and the results made public by the Chief of Police.”
Hardy told APTN News police had been called to a party on the city’s north side on Saturday around 6 p.m. because someone was bleeding and needed medical attention.
They said first responders were taking the teenager in the video to the hospital because she was too intoxicated.
APTN was told the officer hit her so hard she started to bleed and the young girl was taken to hospital. She has since been released.
“She’s doing good right now, she said she has anxiety about this whole thing,” Hardy said.
APTN has reached out to Thunder Bay Police but haven’t received a response yet.
NAN said in a press release Thunder Bay police is investigating the incident.
if you listen closely to the video, you can clearly hear the officer slap her when the camera is not yet on her. You hear the slap, and the teen moan, then you hear the officer mention how she’s not sure why the teen has to go and get so dramatic.. then the teen spits I guess, and then another slap.
So I am thinking she was treated poorly from the get go and the spitting was likely her only way to retaliate.
if you listen closely to the video, you can clearly hear the officer slap her when the camera is not yet on her. You hear the slap, and the teen moan, then you hear the officer mention how she’s not sure why the teen has to go and get so dramatic.. then the teen spits I guess, and then another slap.
So I am thinking she was treated poorly from the get go and the spitting was likely her only way to retaliate.
What about poor police officer or we should say poor police officers all of them
I’m so sick of our newspaper making that poor female officer a target she’s is the victim
When do we call it enough is enough
I’m sure our 911 is a lot to do with them need of people taxpayers money they should be investigated with their own type of people. They have a please force that they could rely on call them for help leave our police officers alone
So they can deal with crime
Not drunk people
Deal with crime, deal with crime. HOW MANY MORE BODIES OF YOUNG NATIVE STUDENTS WILL THEY HAVE TO FIND FLOATING IN THE RIVER BEFORE THEY DEAL WITH CRIME.
What about poor police officer or we should say poor police officers all of them
I’m so sick of our newspaper making that poor female officer a target she’s is the victim
When do we call it enough is enough
I’m sure our 911 is a lot to do with them need of people taxpayers money they should be investigated with their own type of people. They have a please force that they could rely on call them for help leave our police officers alone
So they can deal with crime
Not drunk people
Deal with crime, deal with crime. HOW MANY MORE BODIES OF YOUNG NATIVE STUDENTS WILL THEY HAVE TO FIND FLOATING IN THE RIVER BEFORE THEY DEAL WITH CRIME.
An officer of the law was assaulted. They are often spit on by people who lead high-risk life styles. This act can lead to the contraction of communicable diseases (HIV with blood, herpes, hepatitis, etc..). This can have life altering consequences to the person who was there to protect this youth. She acted in a way which is appropriate to deter the assaulter, which is lesser or equal to the assaulter. She slapped to stun or disorient and prevent further spitting then covered her mouth to further protect herself. This has nothing to do with indigenous culture vs. police or the dominant culture or authority. This youth will likely be charged with an indictable offence for her assault. SHE ASSAULTED A POLICE OFFICER! WHAT ARE YOU ALL MISSING?
-She did not act in a way that was culturally insensitive.
-She acted with less force than what other officers might have thought appropriate to protect themselves.
-Race/ethnicity had nothing to do with the content of the actions
-This would have happened regardless of the ethnicity
Stop reading into something that is not there. This conversation takes us all one step back.
Oh my goddd did you just say that slapping and forcefully covering someone’s mouth is lesser or equal to spitting? Buddy. Pal. If you wanna test this theory, I’d be happy to stop by your place and have a contest of you spitting on me versus me slapping you and smothering your mouth. Bonus points if you’re already injured and on a gurney. We can test out which of us is more traumatized after!
I am shocked and horrified at people defending this indifensable REACTION of the officer. This officer,should not be dealing with the public. There are spit masks that can be used. No need to hard slap a restrained woman wrapped in blankets who cannot,even raise her hands to protect herself. Police are trained to deal with difficult people. This officer CHOSE NOT TO see the person as possibly experiencing a mental health crisis, possibly under the influence, and ACT ACCORDINGLY. She reacted out of obvious hate and vengeance. Racism abounds! There are good officers and there are bad. Make no mistake- that’s a rotten egg slapping that young woman!
I agree with you that police officer should not respond in that way to someone spitting on her. She is being paid by the public to take as much bodily fluid an intoxicated person can give and still be happy to help.
I hope you respond the same way you think the officer should have if someone spits on YOU!!!
I don’t know the officer so I don’t know if racism is involved but I do know from experience that if I get spit on we are going to have a problem, male or female.
An officer of the law was assaulted. They are often spit on by people who lead high-risk life styles. This act can lead to the contraction of communicable diseases (HIV with blood, herpes, hepatitis, etc..). This can have life altering consequences to the person who was there to protect this youth. She acted in a way which is appropriate to deter the assaulter, which is lesser or equal to the assaulter. She slapped to stun or disorient and prevent further spitting then covered her mouth to further protect herself. This has nothing to do with indigenous culture vs. police or the dominant culture or authority. This youth will likely be charged with an indictable offence for her assault. SHE ASSAULTED A POLICE OFFICER! WHAT ARE YOU ALL MISSING?
-She did not act in a way that was culturally insensitive.
-She acted with less force than what other officers might have thought appropriate to protect themselves.
-Race/ethnicity had nothing to do with the content of the actions
-This would have happened regardless of the ethnicity
Stop reading into something that is not there. This conversation takes us all one step back.
Oh my goddd did you just say that slapping and forcefully covering someone’s mouth is lesser or equal to spitting? Buddy. Pal. If you wanna test this theory, I’d be happy to stop by your place and have a contest of you spitting on me versus me slapping you and smothering your mouth. Bonus points if you’re already injured and on a gurney. We can test out which of us is more traumatized after!
I am shocked and horrified at people defending this indifensable REACTION of the officer. This officer,should not be dealing with the public. There are spit masks that can be used. No need to hard slap a restrained woman wrapped in blankets who cannot,even raise her hands to protect herself. Police are trained to deal with difficult people. This officer CHOSE NOT TO see the person as possibly experiencing a mental health crisis, possibly under the influence, and ACT ACCORDINGLY. She reacted out of obvious hate and vengeance. Racism abounds! There are good officers and there are bad. Make no mistake- that’s a rotten egg slapping that young woman!
I agree with you that police officer should not respond in that way to someone spitting on her. She is being paid by the public to take as much bodily fluid an intoxicated person can give and still be happy to help.
I hope you respond the same way you think the officer should have if someone spits on YOU!!!
I don’t know the officer so I don’t know if racism is involved but I do know from experience that if I get spit on we are going to have a problem, male or female.
I’m sick of everybody thinking they can treat police officers anyway they want one minute they are expected to be trained programmed robots feeling nothing the next they are social workers
Being spit on is an assault and being a bodily fluid could carry deadly consequences
Plolice officers are people and they feel frustration and pain like everyone else
Punching an already immobilized person in the face for spitting is not a reasonable response. Any kind of physical violence against an already immobilized person is unacceptable. A regular citizen would know better, a police officer certainly should know better. Physical violence should be a last resort, not a standard response. If this officer will strike someone for spitting, what else will she strike someone over?
I’m sick of everybody thinking they can treat police officers anyway they want one minute they are expected to be trained programmed robots feeling nothing the next they are social workers
Being spit on is an assault and being a bodily fluid could carry deadly consequences
Plolice officers are people and they feel frustration and pain like everyone else
Punching an already immobilized person in the face for spitting is not a reasonable response. Any kind of physical violence against an already immobilized person is unacceptable. A regular citizen would know better, a police officer certainly should know better. Physical violence should be a last resort, not a standard response. If this officer will strike someone for spitting, what else will she strike someone over?
The Thunder Bay Police do only harm now, and have no justification for even existing at this juncture, the provincial police and private security would satisfy the city’s every need.
The Thunder Bay Police do only harm now, and have no justification for even existing at this juncture, the provincial police and private security would satisfy the city’s every need.
To find out tonight that the constable involved in this incident is off duty ( does that mean holidays) and not suspended “unfortunately” with pay resulted in my putting in a third party complaint about the incident with the OIPRD.
Something Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler should have done!
To find out tonight that the constable involved in this incident is off duty ( does that mean holidays) and not suspended “unfortunately” with pay resulted in my putting in a third party complaint about the incident with the OIPRD.
Something Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler should have done!
Almost more concerning is the officer covering her mouth and repeatedly pushing down. This act is increadibly physically threatening and causes a terror response to the system that regulates arousal in the brain. I highly recommend trauma therapy and a restorative justice approach for all involved.
Almost more concerning is the officer covering her mouth and repeatedly pushing down. This act is increadibly physically threatening and causes a terror response to the system that regulates arousal in the brain. I highly recommend trauma therapy and a restorative justice approach for all involved.
This is child abuse!!!! Any other way it’s looked at it’s an assault on a 17 yr to led child, Wow this is disgusting behaviour, to think this Lady carries a loaded gun . I don’t feel safer with this officer on the job.
This young person spit at a Police Officer….you can clearly hear the action of spitting. The officer then slaps the person on the gurney. The officer should know better. He had no right to slap the person on the stretcher. That was a time for that Police Officer to show professional attitude and put on a spit bag to prevent this from happening again. I know the Police put up with this all the time. I hope this type of assault on a Peace Officer does not happen again.
I’m not sure how closely you watched the video, or read the details … the offending officer was female. Yes, police officers get spat on all the time — which is why self-control is important. If this officer reacts this way to a defenseless intoxicated teenaged female, she will prematurely escalate any situation. Retraining or aggression management is clearly called for.
so if I spit at your 17 yr old that is okay?? not abusive??
No it’s not okay, but it doesn’t give me or anyone else the right to physically assault you, especially if you are immobilized. If you think it’s okay for a trained police officer to assault a child for spitting at them, especially when that child is already in medical distress and is immobilized, then there is something deeply wrong with you.
Hopefully someone will send in a complaint about this incident to the OIPRD,because we cannot have the local constabulary investigating it themselves.
All the more reason to have the constabulary fitted with body cams so that they will conduct themselves in a professional manner or is this part of their training?
“Taddeo said there does not seem to be concern amongst the public when encountering an officer with a body camera. The cameras themselves are very discreet, he added, but they also serve as a deterrent to inappropriate or aggressive behavior and can actually be calming.
Officers conduct themselves as they normally would, so the interaction starts to flow naturally,” Taddeo added.
“When people realize they are being recorded there is a change. I am specifically referring to a person who may conduct themselves more negatively, maybe more aggressively in terms of tone, or voice, or even action.”
This is child abuse!!!! Any other way it’s looked at it’s an assault on a 17 yr to led child, Wow this is disgusting behaviour, to think this Lady carries a loaded gun . I don’t feel safer with this officer on the job.
This young person spit at a Police Officer….you can clearly hear the action of spitting. The officer then slaps the person on the gurney. The officer should know better. He had no right to slap the person on the stretcher. That was a time for that Police Officer to show professional attitude and put on a spit bag to prevent this from happening again. I know the Police put up with this all the time. I hope this type of assault on a Peace Officer does not happen again.
I’m not sure how closely you watched the video, or read the details … the offending officer was female. Yes, police officers get spat on all the time — which is why self-control is important. If this officer reacts this way to a defenseless intoxicated teenaged female, she will prematurely escalate any situation. Retraining or aggression management is clearly called for.
so if I spit at your 17 yr old that is okay?? not abusive??
No it’s not okay, but it doesn’t give me or anyone else the right to physically assault you, especially if you are immobilized. If you think it’s okay for a trained police officer to assault a child for spitting at them, especially when that child is already in medical distress and is immobilized, then there is something deeply wrong with you.
Hopefully someone will send in a complaint about this incident to the OIPRD,because we cannot have the local constabulary investigating it themselves.
All the more reason to have the constabulary fitted with body cams so that they will conduct themselves in a professional manner or is this part of their training?
“Taddeo said there does not seem to be concern amongst the public when encountering an officer with a body camera. The cameras themselves are very discreet, he added, but they also serve as a deterrent to inappropriate or aggressive behavior and can actually be calming.
Officers conduct themselves as they normally would, so the interaction starts to flow naturally,” Taddeo added.
“When people realize they are being recorded there is a change. I am specifically referring to a person who may conduct themselves more negatively, maybe more aggressively in terms of tone, or voice, or even action.”