A Burnaby RCMP officer was captured on video kicking a man twice after multiple officers had wrestled him to the ground during an arrest in Metrotown this week.
The video, posted on TikTok Monday, Nov. 13, shows part of the interaction between the man and police in front of Crystal Mall on Kingsway near Willingdon.
Five officers can be seen taking the man to the ground, and one of the officers is shown delivering two kicks.
Burnaby RCMP said an officer had been approached at about noon by a member of the public who reported a man was attacking people, walking into traffic and attempting to open doors of parked and moving vehicles.
"At the same time there was also a 911 call reporting that someone with the same description as the suspect was swinging a hammer," stated an RCMP news release Tuesday.
When the officer located the suspect, police said the man "demanded the officer's firearm and rushed towards the officer, lunged at him and attempted to disarm him," according to the release.
The officer "repeatedly yelled" for the suspect to stop, according to police, but the man "actively resisted arrest and began to fight the officer."
The officer, the suspect and a member of the public trying to help the officer struggled on the ground before other officers arrived.
"The suspect did not comply with officers' instructions and continued to actively resist arrest," stated the release. "Officers used physical strikes and deployed a conducted energy weapon (Taser), which enabled them to take the man into custody."
The suspect and a police officer were taken to hospital and treated for minor injuries, according to police.
The 46-year-old suspect has a history of violent offences in the Lower Mainland, according to Burnaby RCMP.
No charges have been laid, but the investigation is ongoing.
B.C.'s police watchdog has not been called in because the incident did not result in serious injury, according to Burnaby RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Mike Kalanj.
When asked if it was standard to kick a suspect on the ground, Kalanj said the man was believed to be armed with a weapon and he had attacked and attempted to disarm an officer.
"All officers on the scene did their own risk assessment and were able to take him into custody using the amount of force necessary given the circumstances," Kalanj said.
Burnaby RCMP has obtained the TikTok video and other video from the area, he said.
Follow Cornelia Naylor on Twitter @CorNaylor
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