Hamilton police are investigating a video that appeared on social media on Thursday and appears to show a police officer attacking a woman.
In a press release on Friday morning, the Hamilton Police Service described the video as “worrying” and said its branch of professional standards is leading the investigation.
The officers shown in the video – which is footage from a surveillance camera – were responding to a dispute between neighbors at the time, police spokesman Jackie Penman said.
The footage appears to have been captured Thursday before it was released on social media. It shows two masked and uniformed policemen at the door of a unit in the basement of a home in Hamilton, asking to speak to the tenant.
A policeman appears to point at the camera before speaking to the resident, who has the door ajar.
Tenant says neighbor wants her to be evicted
The footage shows the resident – a disabled transsexual woman – telling the police officer that her neighbor has filed a complaint against her. She also says that he is the superintendent and has already made complaints about her. The CBC has agreed to withhold the woman’s name because she is concerned for her safety.
In the video, she says the neighbor is trying to allow reforms contrary to the zoning of the house and is trying to evict it. The superintendent is “harassing his tenant and causing him to be interpreted as the opposite,” she says.
“Can I finish my sentence?” an officer says. “If you damage his property, you will be arrested.”
The woman says she has not damaged any property.
“Please don’t talk to me like that,” she says.
Out loud, the officer says, “I will just talk about you because clearly you are unreasonable and do not listen.
“If you damage his property, you will be arrested. So don’t damage anything. Is that clear? Thank you.”
Resident accuses official of bullying
The woman says she understands and, when the cops are leaving, she says “Enjoy your intimidating position.”
That’s when the policeman is seen turning and launching himself at the woman as she closes the door quickly.
He looks at the other cop and laughs, then leaves.
“I was feeling worried and worried … What if I hadn’t gotten out of the way after he launched himself at me?” the woman told CBC News. “He would have continued to arrest me just to cover [himself]? Would he have beaten me? He recognized the video camera, as well as his colleague moments before deciding to act that way.
“I literally called him a bully and he bullied me on camera,” she said.
The woman said she was told that if she wanted police officers to be reprimanded, she would have to file a complaint with the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD). Instead, she said she had someone post the surveillance footage on social media.
Police commit to improving relations with the LGBTQ + community
In a press release released on Friday morning, Hamilton police said “public trust and responsibility” are essential to the service’s work.
“And we are committed to upholding those values,” said the statement.
Hamilton police did not say who in the professional services business is leading the investigation and did not mention the officers in the video.
Last year, after a hard-hitting report showed that the force failed to prevent violence at a 2019 Pride festival in the city’s Gage Park, police chief Eric Girt apologized on behalf of the service.
That independent report by Toronto attorney Scott Bergman said the relationship between the Hamilton Police and the city’s LGBTQ residents needed repair.
As of September 2020, the service had acted on 34 out of 38 recommendations. Of these, six were completed, 28 were in progress and four had not started.
The woman in the video said she did not believe the police would make any significant changes.
“Their public image is just a scam,” she said.
Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger also commented on the video, calling it “worrying”.
“Our members of the police service are rightfully considered to have the highest standards of professionalism and integrity and have a positive duty to treat all members of our community with respect,” he said.
“The incident is now under investigation and I am looking forward to seeing the result.”