Indigenous group offers recommendations to Hamilton police after alleged assault by officer

The Hamilton Regional Indian Centre (HRIC) is making suggestions to the Hamilton Police Service (HPS) to assist deal with the “hurt carried out by regulation enforcement companies” in opposition to Indigenous peoples, after an officer allegedly assaulted an Indigenous man throughout an arrest. 

“This must cease. Training, prevention and accountability have to be of the very best precedence of regulation enforcement,” HRIC government director Audrey Davis instructed reporters Tuesday throughout a press convention, the place she listed a number of suggestions.

Police say on Could 26, officers have been investigating a stolen car at a fuel station on the Mountain. The investigation led to the arrest that day of Patrick Tomchuk. 

The arrest was captured on video by a citizen and a close-by enterprise and led Hamilton police to droop Const. Brian Wren. Tomchuk, in the meantime, was charged with quite a few theft-related offences associated to the stolen car investigation and one depend of assault – resist arrest, based on his lawyer. The video has not been shared publicly or with CBC.

Tomchuk initially reported accidents sustained through the arrest and police say they contacted the Particular Investigations Unit, however the watchdog did not examine as a result of they discovered the accidents weren’t extreme sufficient.

It prompted Hamilton police to do its personal prison investigation and finally cost Wren with assault on June 16.

Olga Tomchuk, Patrick’s mother, stated Tuesday she needs justice.

“I simply wish to have it the place this police officer would not do it anymore,” she instructed reporters.

Tomchuk’s lawyer beforehand stated an HPS officer has assaulted him a minimum of as soon as earlier than.

HPS Chief Frank Bergen stated the service is reviewing its recordsdata however to date have not discovered any documented instances of that taking place.

Police chief says he welcomes dialogue

Davis listed quite a few suggestions together with:

• A 3rd-party investigation into the alleged assault.
• The consideration of charging Wren with a hate crime.
• The investigation of any previous incidents of police violence towards Tomchuk.
• The creation of an HPS Indigenous neighborhood liaison position.
• An Indigenous-specific seat inside the HPS board.
• Bolstering Indigenous coaching for HPS.
• An interim neighborhood hate crime assessment circle with out an HPS employees member current.
• An Indigenous advisory or advisor place for HPS.
• Physique cameras and dashboard cameras for all officers and police cruisers.
• A committee that works towards implementing calls to motion from Fact and Reconciliation Fee, and the Nationwide Inquiry into Lacking and Murdered Indigenous Girls and Women.

Davis stated somewhat than defunding the police service or disbanding it, there needs to be a chance for Indigenous voices to come back to the desk. She additionally stated that the suggestions aren’t prompted solely by the incident between Tomchuk and Wren, however by what she stated is a “lengthy historical past of violence between colonial regulation enforcement companies in opposition to Indigenous peoples in Canada.”

This “was an incident that lastly obtained consideration due to the costs, due to the video. There are numerous different incidences we may converse of,” she stated, including that this explicit incident was one which confirmed an officer crossing a line. 

“I clearly perceive that typically police do have to make use of a bit of extra drive when persons are resistant. However in terms of extreme use when there are bodily accidents which are critical, that’s extreme… The brutality is past what is required to take this individual into custody,” she stated. 

Bergen additionally spoke to reporters after Davis and others left the realm.

He known as the video “disturbing” and stated he needs to talk with Indigenous leaders. He already contacted them after the incident initially occurred and is planning a gathering with them.

“The neighborhood needs actions and never simply phrases,” Bergen stated on Tuesday, including he invitations the broader neighborhood to supply suggestions to the service.

“Once we can do issues higher, it is higher to take a seat at a desk to debate it, to discover a path collectively.”

He stated Tomchuk did not converse to police on the time of the incident, which is a barrier for police to contemplate the potential of a hate crime cost. He stated if an officer dedicated a hate crime, HPS would comply with up accordingly.

Bergen added he is been working towards bringing in an Indigenous liaison officer for the final 12 months. As for adjustments to the police board, Bergen stated the province must make that change.

As a member of Mississaugas of the Credit score First Nation, police board chair Pat Mandy is Indigenous, however Davis stated that is not the identical as an Indigenous-specific board member.

Bergen additionally stated implementing dashboard cameras in police automobiles is already within the works by means of a grant, which needs to be prepared by 2023.

He stated the board would want to assessment how implementing physique cameras would have an effect on the service’s funds and there isn’t any pilot taking place proper now.

Tomchuk’s bail listening to is ready for Wednesday and Wren’s subsequent court docket date is ready for Aug. 18.