The Ontario police watchdog says it is investigating an incident involving Hamilton Police (HPS) and a 24-year-old woman who was “seriously injured” during a demonstration at the central station on Friday.
A spokesman for the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) says the examination is related to a “custody injury” when protesters descended on 155 King William Street on November 26 to demand the release of a defender. arrested after the demolition of a homeless camp in JC Beemer Park on November 26. Victoria Avenue North.
“The officers arrested three people. A woman who was arrested reportedly suffered serious injuries during the course of her arrest, ”SIU spokeswoman Kristy Denette said in a statement.
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Earlier Tuesday, Denette said the agency invoked its mandate after HPS contacted SIU about a pair of incidents involving Beemer Park and the central station.
HPS spokesperson Jackie Penman confirmed to Global News that the service had reached out to the SIU following a press conference Monday morning hosted by the Hamilton Encampment Support Network (HESN).
It happened on Ferguson Avenue North near Barton Street East, where one of Hamilton’s largest homeless camps used to be.
“The Hamilton Camp Support Network held a press conference yesterday morning, where they informed us of the allegations of injuries caused during the arrests of those involved in the protest at JC Beemer Park,” Penman said.
“As such, we notified the SIU for further investigation and they have now invoked their mandate.”
In an email to Global News, Denette said that the incident under investigation is the only one in SIU’s jurisdiction since the events of last week.
“If there are other serious injuries that the public would like to report, they could report to the SIU,” Denette said.
“Other complaints that do not meet our mandate could be referred to the Office of the Independent Police Review Director (OIPRD)
Three investigators have been assigned to the case.
During the HESN press conference, several accusers told stories of how HPS officers were allegedly “insensitive” and assaulted them in Beemer Park, as well as at a meeting outside the central police station on Friday during a protest over related arrests. .
Rowa Mohamed, an advocate for affordable housing, described their interaction at Monday’s press conference.
“I was screaming in pain and I felt a hand covering my mouth to prevent me from screaming, when the man put all the weight of his knee and his body on my neck and my head ”, said Mohamed.
Jordan Grace said at the press conference that he was the first of the arrests on Wednesday and that their encounter involved being “thrown to the ground” by police.
“As several officers piled on top of me, I struggled for breath,” Grace said.
“They beat me, they bruised me and I suffered a concussion. But, in all honesty, I consider myself lucky. “
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Sarah Jama, co-founder of the Disability Justice Network of Ontario, whose arrest was the focus of the central station rally, said their interaction was linked to an accusation that she assaulted a police officer with her wheelchair by running over the foot.
“It’s not possible, this chair can barely drive on grass,” said Jama.
HPS confirmed that a total of five arrests have been made as a result of incidents during the Nov. 24 decommissioning at JC Beemer Park. All are charged with obstructing the police, and some face additional charges for assaulting law enforcement officers.
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In a statement Saturday, Police Chief Frank Bergen characterized the meeting in Beemer Park as “not a peaceful protest,” claiming that the protesters breached a perimeter and compromised the safety of the workers cleaning the area, the residents of the camp, city staff and extension workers.
“We fundamentally agree that community support and demonstrations should not be criminalized,” Bergen said in a video post on Twitter.
“There is a delicate balance in the need to allow community activism, while holding demonstrations that meet the threshold for a peaceful, legal and safe assembly.”
Hamilton began dismantling camps in city parks after a superior court judge ruled Nov. 2 against a group of homeless residents seeking a permanent injunction to prevent the city from removing facilities from the named locations. .
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