BY KATIE DEROSA, TIMES COLONIST
OCTOBER 21, 2010
Police are investigating two City of Victoria bylaw officers, one of whom allegedly beat up a homeless man in a park yesterday.
North Park resident Jennifer Stubbs said she woke up just before 9:30 a.m. to hear a man yelling "Help me" over and over.
Stubbs said she was horrified to see a bylaw officer straddling a homeless man and punching him repeatedly on the head.
The incident happened in a green space called Kings Park, behind Stubbs's house in the 1000-block of Caledonia Street, which, she said, was frequented by homeless campers.
"He was hammering his head with his hand over and over," Stubbs said, adding the altercation lasted at least a minute. "[The officer] would stop and the guy would whimper and call for help and [the officer] would start wailing on him again."
The homeless man was face down on the grass, kicking his feet and screaming, Stubbs said.
The 31-year-old mother of two called 911 and heard neighbours running to the scene yelling at the officer to stop. She said a second officer was standing nearby but was not engaging with the homeless man.
"If they were really having trouble restraining him, why didn't the other guy come to help?" Stubbs said.
Victoria police and B.C. Ambulance arrived shortly after.
City of Victoria spokeswoman Katie Josephson said the bylaw officers were talking to the man about several shopping carts strewn around the park when the man "physically confronted" them.
One officer called police while the other restrained the man until police arrived, she said.
Josephson said she could not comment on Stubbs' report that the bylaw officer hit the man on the head.
"Bylaw officers have the power to use force in self defence. In terms of the level of force used in this incident, that will have to be determined during the course of the police investigation."
She said the city was taking the matter very seriously and would conduct an internal investigation.
The man had injuries to his shoulder and head, said Victoria police spokesman Sgt. Grant Hamilton. One of the bylaw officers had cuts to his leg and the other had unspecified injuries, Josephson said.
All three were taken to hospital and investigators hoped to get statements from them once they are released, Hamilton said.
"It's too early to say if there are charges relating to this," he added.
The homeless man is in his 30s, Hamilton said. He could not confirm whether the man was mentally ill or known to police.
Stubbs said homeless campers in her neighbourhood have been a growing problem since the city prohibited camping on the Pandora Street median.
Yesterday afternoon, there was a man with a shopping cart in the park. A blanket had been left near a tree. Most people who camped in the park were not disruptive, Stubbs said.
kderosa@timescolonist.com
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
OCTOBER 21, 2010
Police are investigating two City of Victoria bylaw officers, one of whom allegedly beat up a homeless man in a park yesterday.
North Park resident Jennifer Stubbs said she woke up just before 9:30 a.m. to hear a man yelling "Help me" over and over.
Stubbs said she was horrified to see a bylaw officer straddling a homeless man and punching him repeatedly on the head.
The incident happened in a green space called Kings Park, behind Stubbs's house in the 1000-block of Caledonia Street, which, she said, was frequented by homeless campers.
"He was hammering his head with his hand over and over," Stubbs said, adding the altercation lasted at least a minute. "[The officer] would stop and the guy would whimper and call for help and [the officer] would start wailing on him again."
The homeless man was face down on the grass, kicking his feet and screaming, Stubbs said.
The 31-year-old mother of two called 911 and heard neighbours running to the scene yelling at the officer to stop. She said a second officer was standing nearby but was not engaging with the homeless man.
"If they were really having trouble restraining him, why didn't the other guy come to help?" Stubbs said.
Victoria police and B.C. Ambulance arrived shortly after.
City of Victoria spokeswoman Katie Josephson said the bylaw officers were talking to the man about several shopping carts strewn around the park when the man "physically confronted" them.
One officer called police while the other restrained the man until police arrived, she said.
Josephson said she could not comment on Stubbs' report that the bylaw officer hit the man on the head.
"Bylaw officers have the power to use force in self defence. In terms of the level of force used in this incident, that will have to be determined during the course of the police investigation."
She said the city was taking the matter very seriously and would conduct an internal investigation.
The man had injuries to his shoulder and head, said Victoria police spokesman Sgt. Grant Hamilton. One of the bylaw officers had cuts to his leg and the other had unspecified injuries, Josephson said.
All three were taken to hospital and investigators hoped to get statements from them once they are released, Hamilton said.
"It's too early to say if there are charges relating to this," he added.
The homeless man is in his 30s, Hamilton said. He could not confirm whether the man was mentally ill or known to police.
Stubbs said homeless campers in her neighbourhood have been a growing problem since the city prohibited camping on the Pandora Street median.
Yesterday afternoon, there was a man with a shopping cart in the park. A blanket had been left near a tree. Most people who camped in the park were not disruptive, Stubbs said.
kderosa@timescolonist.com
© Copyright (c) The Victoria Times Colonist
