Man taken down 'like a rag doll' in arrest outside bowling alley wants Peel officer dismissed
A man is demanding action after he says a police officer used excessive force against him during an arrest caught on camera at a Mississauga bowling alley Saturday night.
Nicholas Blake was celebrating ahead of his 20th birthday with a group of friends at Classic Bowling, in the Dundas Street West and Winston Churchill Boulevard area around 10:40 p.m., when an on-duty officer approached him, claiming he was too drunk. Blake says he immediately started recording, claiming something about the encounter felt fishy.
"You record stuff when you feel like things aren't really right. I felt we were kind of being targeted for no reason," he told CBC News.
"This officer said that we were being rowdy… It didn't really match up to the way our night was going."
'It's time for you to leave'
Footage of the encounter, provided by Blake, shows a Peel Regional Police officer asking a young man for identification inside the bowling alley. He complies.
"You're barely 19," the officer says after looking at his ID, before telling the man, "It's time for you to leave before I take you out of here."
"Who do you think you are?" someone is heard saying off-camera before police the man outside. Blake says the person asking was him, curious why his friend was being made to leave.
Once outside, things between Blake and the officer escalated quickly.
That encounter is captured in a second video, which Blake also provided to CBC News, lasting about nine minutes. In it, Blake tells the officer he is not intoxicated, before being taken down.
"Get down on the ground," the officer says, holding him in place.
It was a moment in which Blake felt trapped, confused and afraid, he told CBC News.
"He literally just used brute force me and threw me to the ground and I literally felt like a rag doll," he said following the arrest.
Claims of 'brute force'
The two remain locked on the ground before Blake is seen escaping the officer's hold and getting back on his feet, before putting his hands behind his back.
"Just do it dude," he says, offering to be handcuffed.
"Get down on the ground," the officer responds, as Blake goes down to his knees.
Moments later Blake is standing again, taking off his jacket and shirt. It's unclear from the video if the officer asks him to undress.
The interaction continues until another officer arrives. The video shows Blake being handcuffed and escorted to a police cruiser while two more cruisers arrive at the scene.
But before he's seated, he appears to fall to the ground screaming, "No, No! I didn't do anything!"
"Nick, take a break, bro," a friend is heard saying off camera as Blake tells officers they're hurting his skull and asking for a knee to be taken off of him.
Peel Regional Police investigating
Speaking to CBC News after the arrest, Blake recalled witnessing a violent encounter in the past that led to a friend's death. He says it's why he reacted so strongly to being held and put in the vehicle.
Peel Regional Police confirm a 19-year-old was charged with causing a disturbance and assault with intent to resist arrest. He was released on a promise to appear, Const. Steve Fischer said.
Fischer added the officer in the video was doing paid security for the establishment the night of the arrest. But Peel Regional Police said little about whether the force shown in the video was appropriate.
"Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention," spokesperson Sgt. Josh Colley told CBC News. "We are not able to provide comment until we obtain all of the facts."
Fischer says it is normal for officers to leave with patrons in such incidents to ensure that they and others are safe once they leave the building. A person who is intoxicated can be physically removed if necessary, he said, but use of force is a last resort.
Blake admits he was frustrated and yelling, but disagrees with the officer's handling of the situation.
He says he is planning to take legal action and wants to see the officer involved removed from the force.
"I would like to know why people whose job it is to serve and protect made me feel so scared and at harm," he said.
"I've never felt so not like a human being in my life... You can't just treat someone like they're an animal."
