Video gone viral online shows a man struck on and about the head by a Calgary police officer while two more hold him down.
The short clip, uploaded to Instagram Friday evening, shows the final seconds of an altercation on the sidewalk and street outside a drinking establishment in the city’s Beltline community.
Opening with the man and one of the three officers sharing words, the man raises a hand during the interaction at which point the officer grabs him and takes him to the ground.
It appears in the video the man is trying to cover his head as the first officer strikes him at least three times as the other two officers join the first to hold the man down.
It was posted to Instagram by user jk00ks without context — just the hashtag #calgarystampede.
Saturday, the Calgary Police Service issued a statement saying they are aware of the video doing the rounds online and offering some explanation of the actions of its officers.
CPS said the video is a small part of a larger incident.
“Officers were conducting a walk-through of licensed premises in the area, when they were alerted by citizens to a situation unfolding in the street. The officers left the bar to determine what was occurring,” the statement read.
“They were immediately approached by an aggressive man who refused to cooperate with their demands and then attempted to leave the area.
“This man had exited his vehicle following a road rage incident involving a pedestrian, and refused police requests to provide information about his identity.”
Police said the man was driving unsafely along 17th Ave. SW and was thus ticketed for stunting.
He’s since been released.
Police said they will not be commenting further on this incident.
