Video footage shows arrest that led to assault charges for 3 Vancouver police officers

A B.C. provincial court judge has agreed to release video of a 2017 arrest that seriously injured a suspect and resulted in assault charges for three Vancouver police officers.

Surveillance video taken at the Commercial-Broadway SkyTrain station on May 24, 2017, during the arrest of David Cowie was made public Wednesday in response to applications from media outlets.

The video shows Vancouver Police Department constables Brandon Blue and Beau Spencer and now-retired constable Gregory Jackson punching and kneeing Cowie as he lies face down and relatively still on the ground. All three officers have been charged with assault in connection with the arrest and are currently standing trial.

The court has heard that at the time of the arrest, Cowie was suspected of obstruction and theft from a parkade, and was fleeing from police.

WATCH | Surveillance video of the 2017 arrest:

CCTV footage shows arrest that led to assault charges for 3 police officers

5 hours ago

Duration 3:28

Featured VideoSurveillance video taken at the Commercial-Broadway SkyTrain station on May 24, 2017, shows Vancouver police officers repeatedly punching and kneeing a theft suspect.

In the video, Const. Josh Wong, who has not been charged, can be seen chasing Cowie into the station and tackling him to the ground.

Wong can be heard calling for backup in a radio transmission, telling the dispatcher, "he's fighting me." Crown prosecutors have argued the video shows that Cowie was not fighting.

Blue can then be seen running into the station and immediately striking the suspect with his right knee.

Spencer, wearing shorts and T-shirt, follows and delivers several strikes with his right hand and knee. He has admitted that he kneed Cowie three times and punched him three times within just six seconds.

Jackson is last to arrive. He can be seen punching Cowie twice.

Cowie suffered four broken ribs — including two that were each fractured in two places — as well as a collapsed lung. The trial has heard evidence from an emergency physician who determined that Cowie's injuries were most likely caused by the officers' knees.

Spencer and Jackson have testified that Cowie was resisting arrest and that they only used appropriate and necessary force.

The trial is scheduled to resume in December.