A Canadian Tire employee in Hamilton says he was shot with a Taser by police while having an epileptic seizure earlier this week.
“I thought I was going to die,” Marcus Charles told CTV News Toronto.
Crescent-shaped bruises now run from her temples to her cheekbones and the imprint of the handcuffs is still alive around her wrists.
On Sunday, Charles said he was working at Canadian Tire in downtown Hamilton on Main Street and Victoria Avenue when he had an epileptic seizure.
He says he gets them once or twice every two months. Seizures that last six or seven hours, she says.
“I’m going to wake up in the hospital with IVs wondering what happened,” he said.
This time, Charles said that when he came back to reality he was surrounded by four or five policemen. “I started to panic,” he said.
Video footage of the incident was captured by a Canadian Tire colleague and obtained by CTV News Toronto. In it, Charles is seen lying on the sidewalk. His body appears to be convulsing as the officers surround him and hold him down as he repeatedly screams.
“I cry every time I watch the video,” Charles said.
Charles later said he learned he was tasered by police and woke up at a local hospital, where the barbed darts were removed from his body and released from the taser.
Once he recovered, a police officer handed him a document that listed three charges: Level 1 Assault and two counts of Assault on Peace Officers. “They said I couldn’t leave until I took it and signed it,” he said.
The Hamilton Paramedic Service confirmed they received a call for medical assistance on Sunday, treated a man at the scene and transported him to a local hospital for treatment.
Hamilton Police spokesman David Thompson originally told CTV News Toronto that he was unable to comment on the nature of the call.
However, after further review, Thompson added that the paramedics were involved in a “dangerous, violent and volatile” situation.
“Paramedics immediately extricated themselves from the situation to a safe location and requested assistance from the Hamilton Police Service per policy,” he said.
Thompson said police officers immediately responded to the scene and helped paramedics bring the “violent situation” under control.
“Violence or threats of violence against paramedics is never acceptable and will always result in police being present to assist our paramedics,” he said.
In a statement obtained Tuesday afternoon, Hamilton police said Canadian Tire was called to assist an ambulance with a combative patient.
“Upon arrival, the officers were met with escalating behavior that included physically assaulting two officers. We appreciate that the individual’s medical condition may have affected events as they unfolded,” police said in the statement.
“Hamilton Police obtained video showing the entire incident and the officers’ actions were appropriate for the situation they faced.”
“For the safety of people, officers and paramedics, officers deployed a Conductive Energy Weapon (CEW) to control the situation.”
Police said one officer suffered a concussion as a result of the interaction. They confirmed that three charges were filed in connection with the incident: three counts of assault on the two officers and one paramedic.
Charles, however, said the incident is making him hesitant to ask for help again.
“That was the scariest call for help of my life,” he said.
“We should know the difference between a person who has epilepsy and is confused and doesn’t know what the situation is and if someone is being a threat, being combative.”
Eveyln Myrie, president of the Hamilton African-Canadian Caribbean Association, said Charles’s partner called her for support after the incident occurred.
“I am truly disturbed by the image and I think all decent people will find it disturbing, regardless of their race, culture or background,” she said.
“I think the police need to give us a good explanation. Actually, there are no explanations for this kind of behavior.”