The union representing police in Thunder Bay has come to the defence of an officer seen striking an Indigenous youth strapped to a stretcher, a scene captured in a widely shared online video.
“Our colleague was simply defending themselves from a belligerent who was thrusting their face towards the officer in a threatening manner,” said John Ebardhe, a spokesperson for the Thunder Bay Police Union.
“Its obvious that the real victim here is the officer’s hand, which is—I won’t say very sore—but is a bit sore.”
The union is also lashing out at First Nations leaders, saying their condemnation of an assault on a youth is harmful to police and Indigenous relations.