'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Hamilton Police Services (HPS) Constable Brian Wren violently arrested Patrick Tomchuk on May 26. A disturbing video of four police officers stomping on the indigenous man's head was shown during his bail hearing on Wednesday at the John Sopinka Courthouse.
For most of the video, 32-year-old Patrick Tomchuk seems to be unconscious. His sister noted that despite her brother being unconscious, "they still continued to stomp on his head." She added that the video was too disturbing for her.
What went on in the video with Patrick Tomchuk and the Hamilton Police?
While the video has not been released to the public, it has been reported that in the alleged video, several Hamilton police officers can be seen wrestling, punching and kicking Patrick Tomchuk during the arrest. According to The Hamilton Spectator, a woman can be heard screaming, "They’re stomping on his head,” as they recorded the entire arrest from the front window of the car.
After a while, Tomchuk starts walking with some difficulty when an officer walks in and stomps on his head again. As Jenn Steenbeek, Tomchuk's lawyer, revealed the video in court, some of his family members, including his daughter, left the courtroom as the court warned them of disturbing content inside the video.
According to The Hamilton Spectator, Patrick Tomchuk's mother Olga Tomchuk sobbed as she watched the video involving her son and the Hamilton police during the court session. After the court session on Wednesday, Olga Tomchuk also asked the person who took the video to contact Tomchuk's family. She noted:
"Your name won't be mentioned... I would like to thank you for taking that video."
Some netizens also showed appreciation for the woman who made the video and sent it to the attorney.
Tomchuk has been in custody from the month of May due to multiple charges against including criminally obtained property, alleged theft of three vehicles, assault and resist arrest.
However, after watching the disturbing video in court, justice Linda Crawford agreed to release Patrick Tomchuk on bail but he hasn't been freed yet.
The 32-year-old has been asked to fitted with an electronic ankle monitor. Moreover, Niagara police has picked him up after bail hearing to deal with the outstanding charges against him in Orillia and Niagara. It hasn't been unclear when Tomchuk would eventually be released.
Charges against the Hamilton officers involved with the incident
As per The Hamilton Spectator, Justice of Peace Linda Crawford noted that the Hamilton police officers appeared to have beaten Tomchuk until he fell unconscious. While Tomchuk resisted the attack, it reportedly did not match the aggression from the police's end. She also noted that the event will “no doubt result in triable issues.”
However, after the incident surfaced, Constable Brian Wren was suspended and later charged with assault on June 16 as the Hamilton Police concluded their investigations.
Audrey Davis, executive director of the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre (HRIC), has also advised Hamilton police to keep police violence and discrimination under check. She also advocated for a third-party investigation into the assault and told police officers to wear body cameras while on duty.
According to CBC, Davis noted:
"This needs to stop. Education, prevention and accountability must be of the highest priority of law enforcement."
As of now, after Tomchuk is released, two of his cousins, namely Jessica O’Neill and Laura Erie, have agreed to keep a watch on him. The three have each pledged $2,000 should they breach his release conditions.
