Video shows Carr bound, hair pulled in Ottawa cellblock

An Ottawa judge has released a 'cell-block video' that Ottawa police tried to keep out of the public eye, which shows the treatment of an Ottawa woman while in police custody the night of her arrest.

Extended: Ottawa Police cellblock video

In this newly released video, Roxanne Carr is seen being detained by Ottawa police in a cellblock.

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Ottawa police hold Roxanne Carr in this image taken from a 2008 video. A cellblock video has been released that captures the arrest of a woman who claims Ottawa police injured and strip-searched her before leaving her naked in a cell without medical attention.

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CTV News.ca Staff

Date: Thu. Jul. 28 2011 8:29 PM ET

A court has released video of the controversial treatment of a woman in an Ottawa cellblock -- footage that the city's police service fought to keep out of the public eye.

In the video, Roxanne Carr is handcuffed, dragged by several officers while on her knees, and at one point has a belt placed around her chest and arms.

Carr was arrested in 2008 and charged with obstructing police and damaging property, though the charges were later dropped.

She has maintained she was roughed up by officers and was left with a broken arm and wrist, had her head banged off the floor and was left naked in the cell for hours.

In the soundless video Carr can be seen lying face-down while officers place the belt around her chest and cinch it up, wrenching her arms awkwardly behind her back. A belt is also placed around her knees. Carr doesn't appear to be struggling.

At one point a female officer pulls Carr by the hair in an effort to lift her head. Officers then force her to stand by pulling on the belt, or strap, which is attached around her chest, and lead her away from the camera.

In another section of the video, Carr is escorted by four officers to a cell, though there is no footage from within the cell. Later, six officers come running down the hall towards the cell, and appear to enter it, while one remains outside, though it isn't clear what has caused the commotion. Again, there is no footage from within the holding cell.

The video does not show footage of Carr's alleged strip-search

The charges originally laid against Carr in 2008 were later dropped after Crown prosecutors viewed the video.

Even after the charges against Carr were dropped, media lawyer Richard Dearden fought to have the video released, arguing the public deserves the right to view what took place on the night of the arrest.

"Police conduct is of vital interest because they have tremendous power, so let's see for ourselves what happened," Dearden told CTV Ottawa.

Justice David Wake agreed last week, and ordered that the video be released.

However, court officials soon discovered the video was missing, and a duplicate had to be made from the original police tapes. Ottawa's acting police chief Gilles Larochelle stood by the officers on Thursday.

"At this point it's a civil matter. I viewed the tape myself. I am supporting the officers. What they did was professional. There was nothing wrong with their conduct," he told CTV Ottawa.

Larochelle said the provincial Special Investigations Unit investigated the officers in the Carr case and found no wrongdoing. As well, Ottawa police carried out an internal review through the department's Professional Standards Section, which resulted in no charges laid and no instances of misconduct identified.

Carr's arrest is just one of a number of controversial incidents that have dogged Ottawa police in recent years.

Two weeks after Carr's arrest, Stacy Bonds was brought in by Ottawa police. Her treatment was also controversial, with claims she was kneed, pinned to the floor and strip-searched by officers.

As a result of that incident, Ottawa Police Sgt. Steven Desjourdy was charged with sexual assault. Desjourdy also has links to Carr's case.

When the video of Bonds' arrest and another of Ottawa man Terry Delay were released in November of last year, the outrage prompted investigations into six other cellblock detentions including Carr's.

Another police officer, Melanie Morris, was seen kneeing Bonds in the arrest video. She was also seen kicking Delay in another highly publicized cellblock video.

Ottawa police had fought against the release of the Carr video, but ahead of its release on Thursday Larochelle said he wasn't worried.

Larochelle said Thursday that officers "handled the custody of Roxanne Carr with the utmost professionalism, especially when faced with a crisis in the cell."

However, Carr's lawyer Mark Ertel said the video plainly shows there was no crisis.

"This is not the first line of defence for police. The first defence was to fight at every turn the release of this videotape and you can draw your own conclusions from why they'd do that," Ertel said.

Carr has launched a $975,000 lawsuit against Ottawa police, stemming from the incident.

As a result of several controversial cellblock detentions, the Ottawa Police have upgraded their detention standards. Officers now receive special cellblock training, there is a higher level of supervision, and a cellblock sergeant now has to approve cellblock detentions.

Audio capability has also been added to the surveillance cameras, Larochelle said.

With a report from CTV Ottawa's Joanne Schnurr

Comments are now closed for this story

sharonpeggy
said
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Regardless of the offenders' crime, this shows the police are bullies, notice they're doing this in a group? Terrible actions on their part, just plain disgusting. I know they're not all like that but maybe they are when in a group, who knows!

MIke
said
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I really don't see any wrong doing here.

Vicky
said
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It's quite simple really...obey the rules and don't break the law and 'incedents' like this won't happen.

bjarbie
said
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Well i can't see any wrong doing, except for the pulling of the hair, if she was resisting arrest before she was taken to the detachment, then i can see why she was restrained, but we haven't been told that..we are also not shown, what was the emergency that sent six police officers to run to her cell, possibly trying to hang herself with her shirt???...we can only assume, probably the reason behind removing her clothes and bringing her a shift to wear, also the allegations that she fractured her wrist/arm, she seemed be using both of them quite well when she picked up her clothes and was adjusting her hair at the end of the video..like i said this video puts a lot of doubt into the allegations, but then again we didn't see the video the judge watched to throw her charges out..hmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!

Karen
said
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If the officers "handled the custody of Carr with utmost professionalism" according to Larochelle, acting Ottawa police chief, why have new rules come out for " new Officers now receive special cellblock training, there is a higher level of supervision, and a cellblock sergeant now has to approve cellblock detentions." It took all these officers to overtake one woman? a lot goes on that the public don't get to know about. Luckily this one was on video which police didn't want shown of course. Hope Roxanne wins the case.

Chuck
said
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Y in yow
Who cares what was said, an officer still has to act professional whether they get called a pig, @_hole etc, its their job to be professional. If anyone should set a high standard of professional conduct it would be an officer. They should be someone our kids look up to and respect, obviously these ones are not! They can not retaliate based on name calling, which to me sounds like what you are saying.

Diane
said
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The only "professional" thing to say about this video is that it is another case of police PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT given a pass by all associated with this tainted police force.. My son is a cop and I would say the same of him had he treated this girl in this most unprofessional manner.

Canada? or third world policing?
said
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If someone has stopped (or never was) resisting, the restraints should come off. The police are there to maintain law, not add to the violence. Also, when did placing a restraint around someone's chest become acceptable practice? That's very dangerous. It restricts someone's ability to breath and therefore they may start to struggle out of instinct to uh stay breathing. That should be stopped immediately. When at all possible, people should be treated with respect. It's not as if this woman just killed someone. She was accused of committing minor offenses. Police should be trained to treat people as human beings, not cattle. I am all for harsh punishment for people who commit violent crimes...not for people with addiction and mental health issues. It's not affective, it is a waste of our resources.

Lynn
said
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There is nothing horrible about this video. There is nothing violent, or that indicates the Police Officers acted inappropriately, aggressively, unprofessionally... they were not torturing her, beating her, they were simply following protocol and doing their jobs. Too bad there aren't videos of her conduct that led to her arrest and the restraints- bottom line: if you don't want to land face first on a concrete floor surrounded by police officers and eventually strip searched- don't do the crime. If this was an accussed murderer, rapist or child molester peoplew ould be applauding and saying the Police weren't rough enough. I have no sympathy for Carr.

Rev in VC
said
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@W in Yow You're right the video doesn't show what happened before the alleged incident. That being said, the woman was subdued and cuffed already. That really should be the end of it. There has yet to be any explanation to the additional restraints and 6 guards at her cell. Your arguement of "we don't know what happened before" is irrelevant because whatever she did before being taken into custody should have no bearing on the officers' conduct. I expect my law enforcers to be above such pettiness like revenge, retribution, teaching a lesson, etc., on suspects that are already in custody. I'd like to believe they were just trying to keep her from hurting herself, but the whole missing tape thing makes it look real bad for these officers.

Tara
said
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I am so tired of people complaining after they get themselves into trouble. Our police force willingly put their lives at risk everyday protecting the rest of us and yet here we are once again berating them

Here's a thought - don't break the law and you won't have to worry about anything. Break the law - our police should have MUCH more authority over you

bob conway
said
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Let's hope the officers' families watch the video, to show them what a bunch of morons share their name.

Mike B and Fred 34
said
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All I can say to both of you, the next time you run into trouble DO NOT CALL THE POLICE, if you think they are such terrible people hand the problem yourself. I do not want one of my hero's trying to save your ass with your attitude about them.

It make me want to puke when people knock down Police Officers. All you ever hear about is the bad stuff from a FEW officers, NOT all Police officers are like this, most of them are excellent people.

Anyone else who thinks the police are bullies and jerks or whatever else you call them, DO NOT call them when a situation comes up that you THINK they should be called, if you think you are so perfect handle it yourself.

red_sox_ns
said
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people, stop wineing about the police, because you would be the same ones crying when they are not there to help you. and fine i get that people dont like cops, but you know what a place with no cops looks like, i can tell yah, Kandahar, ( the the goofs in the ANP uniforms dont count)so befor you bad mouth them for " leaving them naked in a cell" remember, they are the only ones out there to save you.

Lessa
said
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For people saying that Cops have a right to treat people like this because they get "kicked, scratched, spat on, ect" is obviously insane. I work in Long Term care and I get kicked, scratched, spat on, smacked, ect and NEVER would I lay a hand on someone. Is this what we teach our children? That if someone acts in a bad way toward you, that they can then act the same way with no consequences? People wonder what is wrong with our society these days. And for the Cops out there; if you cannot handle peoples behaviors without becoming frustrated and resorting to abuse/assault, then you SHOULD NOT have become a COP!

Gregg
said
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What was her behaviour like immediately before the section of the video (selected by her highly paid lawyer) is being releasing to the public?I think any reasonable person will agree that cops have better things to do than randomly select innocent people from the street and arrest them without cause. They are certainly smart enough not to beat them up in a well surveyed holding area in front of witnesses or resort to unrestricted use of force against a bound prisoner.Roxanne is entirely responsible for her own behaviour and the treatment that resulted from it.

Dean from Toon Town
said
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The answer here is simple.. if you don't want to risk getting roughed up by police, behave yourself and don't get arrested in the first place. Problem solved.

Clark in Markham
said
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I'm amazed at the number of bleeding hearts posting for someone who was arrested for a crime and didn't cooperate with the police. I'm proud of the police chief and how he stood by his officers and didn't cave to the media attention on this.

Joe JJ.
said
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To everyone going on and on about how tough the job is...it's their choice. You don't like it?? Do something else. You can't choose to be a cop, and then expect everyone to have sympathy cause "your job is so hard". Lost of people have hard jobs - suck it up or move on. Enough with the excuse for abuse.

Bunch of Bullies with power
said
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To "Police Officer": - ya your right, you guys always do things by the book. There's never been any instances of cops say, assaulting someone, pepper spraying peaceful crowds, framing innocent people or even tasering someone because they don't want to get their hands dirty. You want respect? Clean up your house.

Mike B
said
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Why does no one respect the bullies - I mean police. They used to be responsible adults, now all the cops are the playground bullies with clubs, tasers and guns. Goons on a power trip.

W in YOW
said
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As with any of these videos they do not tell the story. You cannot make a judgement off just the video. What happened beforehand? What was said, what was done, who did what to whom. You need to have the whole story.I am all for holding the police accountable for poor decisions/actions but for all those putting down the police, it would interesting to see what would happen if they decided not to show up for a week or two.

Family Ties
said
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My Uncle is ex-OPP and he used to brag about these kinds of stories with a big smile on his face. Made me sick!

Fred 34
said
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@police officer. Did someone force you to become a cop? And you get paid, quite well, right? As such the circumstances of your job don't really interest me; you signed up for it. I lost 20 lbs in Afgansitan and was shot at daily and I don't expect anyone to feel sorry for me if I screw up. So please explain what makes the police so special.

Colin
said
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"Would you want to deal with these people?"No, but that's why I didn't become a policeman. Pretty sure they knew what the job involved when they signed up. And I would imagine they have recieved training on how to deal with unrully prisoners that doesn't include breaking their arms or yanking out their hair. So they are are either incompetent or guilty of premeditated assualt. Either way the police are supposed to be PROFESSIONALS so stop excusing them when they screw up. They should face the same damn scrutiny as anyone else.

william
said
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chief Gilles Larochelle sees nothing wrong with this conduct? the video shows she was not even resisting and the cops are trussing her up like pow being tortured? what the heck is this guy doing still in charge? remind me to stay out of ottawa

Doug from Whitehorse
said
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Reading some of the comments, I do see a fair amount of sympathy for the police officers involved. I agree that there is probably a great deal of frustration involved in the job. But, people tend to forget that dealing with obnoxious, uncooperative prisoners or people on the street, the fighting back, the kicking, the spitting, etc., is part of that job. If you are not willing to put up with the hazards of the occupation, leave it. And, while it probably is frustrating, your ability to control yourself when frustrated is probably a good measure of your quality as a human being.

Sickening
said
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bla bla bla. The facts are her charges where dropped, the police tried to obstruct justice , she will sue the police will settle and the taxpayers in Ottawa will foot the bill. Yeah great job Ottawa PD, nicely done. Real professional organization you got there.

mj
said
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I don't feel I have enough contextual information or video to make a judgement one way or the other. However, we, the public, must stay vigilent in order to protect our freedoms and our rights.

Goofs
said
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I see these guys all the time on my base to use the ranges, all done up in thier psuedo military gear, working the wanna be soldier routine. Yet it takes 6 of them subdue and humiliate a 110 lb woman. Or three of them to taser a confussed immigrant to death Or a group of them to beat on students and teenagers excercising thier right to protest. Don't worry boys all of us here know how tough you really are.

bipin
said
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hope she wins!

JT From Calgary
said
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I'm not seeing abuse in the video. When miss Carr was arrested (yes arrested for suspicion of committing a crime or crimes, including assault or obstruction of police) her behaviour set the tone for this entire scenario. I'm guessing that she was 'under the influence' and may not have been behaving like a lady should and this is why she was arrested. Years ago, I was taken in, as I fit the vague description of someone who had held up a convenience store several blocks away. Remember, this person whose vague description I matched, had used a weapon to hold up a convenience store. I was polite and respectful. The officers did a quick field check for a weapon and put me in the back of the cruiser, without cuffs on. After sorting everything out, I was released. Yes, a little inconvenient, but because of my compliance with their requests, I removed any reason for them to deal with me in a violent or rough manner.
Let's have the facts on the call that first went out, where miss Carr was initially detained and see if she's an angel or perhaps is a little on the tarnished side. Yes, the police have an obligation to act in a professional manner and, with multiple recent events involving the Ottawa police, this looks like a few bad apples causing problems for an otherwise professional force.

John
said
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I believe there is a very, very thin line between a cop and a hardened criminal. There are good cops out there but the few who are not make so bad for others.
Put the bad cops in general population of the prison's the problem is likely to sort itself out!

George
said
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For: Jim - North Saanich, BC

Please read again. It clearly says: "However, court officials soon discovered the video was missing, and a duplicate had to be made from the original police tapes."

So the Original tape is Intact and available, would you not agree?

Drew in NL
said
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To all the people defending the police: Use a little common sense, this is one female! are you telling me it takes force to the point of breaking bones for all these officers to restrain one female? get real, your giving them too much credit. Their just humans, they obviously got pissed and took their frustrations out on her. Criminal or not, she didnt deserve the injuries and then have her dignity taken away by a bunch of perverts. Shame on them.

MurrayR
said
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My son is a security guard. He's describes very precise procedures for handling prisoners that are uncooperative, that also maintain the safety of officers. When you hear what people do when drunk or stoned, or mentally imbalanced it's scary. Security and police have a very difficult and risky job in these circumstances - being physically abused, spat on, urinated on, etc. and I see NOTHING in this video that seems questionable if this woman was resisting arrest.

Kenneth Zubiri
said
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This is another example of police abuse of power.

Has everyone already forgotten about the G20 and the "marshal law" that was placed on peaceful protesters.

The police are said to be protecting the public - in fact, they are here to control us, not protect us.

Nothing really ever happens to those officers who abuse power. They (police) all have eachothers backs.

i say NWA had it right - "F%&$ the Police"

They have never helped me when I actually needed help and have way more bad experiences with dick cops than nice ones who are actually there to listen and help.

CALL 911? Ummm ... they will probably just show up 3 hours late anyway.

Stella in Toronto
said
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When criminal suspects refuse to walk, the police drag them. Looks to me she took off that gown herself in the cell and tossed it through the bars, then later an officer picked it up off the ground. Are you telling me the police should of forcibly made her dress after she herself removed the gown in the first place?

TIM DEVLIN
said
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This is a sad thing to see BUT police take a lot of crap from prisioners... spitting, kicking, scratching, biting.... anyone would get so fed up and become someone they don't want to be. It's wrong but its understandable. Would you want to deal with these people?

reidjr
said
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MAC There is a very very big difference between a cop not helping you or being rude and getting abused its not all the same.

reidjr
said
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Stop Them Now! While what did happen was awful no question the police in question should be fired & chraged. However if we start taking police power away no trusting them andf no respecting them wil we be a better place no we then will be look a 3rd would country.

CSam
said
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Awwwww Bob in Chatham. I feel sorry for you the day that you need a police officer to step in to protect you. Hopefully that person behaves as you put it, a citizen, and acts accordingly. That is, in circumstances requiring force to subdue a criminal, that they use that force. It's stories like this that bring out the boo-hoo in all you ungrateful ingrates. Think back to Mayorthorpe and all the other brave police officers taken too soon. If only they had been able to use the necessary force, perhaps many of them would still be alive. Was this lady mistreated? Who knows? There is no video of inside the cell!!!!! Nobody commenting was there, and nobody knows what transpired. Judge not lest ye be judged yourself !!!!

Jefferson
said
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The RCMP should be accountable to a cilivilan oversight comittee that has the power to punish police brutality, whether it be dismissal, suspension, or having officers assigned to limited duty. I do not trust the police in any province or city. In my opinion, every single one of them abuses their power. They are god awful drivers, running stop signs, speeding, and generally behaving like they are above the law. However, there are times when cops go above and beyond the call of duty and it's our job as citizens to recognize those few who do this.

M arco Lagrot
said
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To me, to have the police trying to withhold this video from the public implies that they've done something wrong, period !! The public needs to be open minded about the police for they often cross the line and fail miserably to do what's right.

Police officer
said
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Anyone who thinks that was excessive should go for a ride a long with the police on a Friday or Saturday night shift. We get spit at, kicked, punched, threatened constantly. We take it and move on the the next call for service and try and help the general public. Obviously some of this video is not being shown to the public but I can assure that police officers do not have to drag someone who is co-operative and walking on their own. We also don't use hobble straps on persons in custody unless they had been violent during the arrest and we have concerns for our safety or their safety. It is seldom that a person is pinned to the ground to be searched. They handles themselves professionally while in the cell area. Had she co-operated from the start they would have just been able to let her walk in on her own, get a regular pad down search and been placed into a cell.

Deborah in Montreal
said
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So Police Chief Gilles Larochelle is 'not concerned......... and....... feels the incident was handled properly'. WELL I GUESS WE KNOW WHERE THE ARRESTING OFFICERS GET THEIR ATTITUDE FROM! I think OUR public SERVANTS have forgotten that they not only need to obey the law - they need to be the model of exemplary behaviour. They should be fired - and so should the so-called Police Chief for his very stupid comments

leftwingpinko
said
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supporters of the coppers: did you not read the part that states the charges were dropped?? did you think to ask why they were laid in the first place?? and to the nut case who suggested a video can be made to show anything, then why didn't the cops show it to be favourable to them? it's their video. people without little grey cells should not be posting comments.

TLC
said
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I just don't understand some folks. Don't get me wrong, I understand that there are SOME police officers that abuse their "power", but I don't believe there to be many. However, you try dealing with some of these folks that get arrested, who HAVE done something wrong, who then try to make OUR COPS look bad. I say, BACK THE BLUE! Most of you have no idea what it's like to be on their end. How they are taunted, ignored and cussed out ... all the while, they are trying to do the job that WE hired them to do. Step in their shoes folks. If you're gonna be stupid enough to commit the crime (whatever that may be), you ought to expect consequences. That's what's wrong with society today, there are not enough folks who respect authority, take responsibility for their actions or acknowledge their consequences. I'm sorry, but I'm BACKING THE BLUE on this one, and so should you.

Paul
said
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So that was "professional" and "the way they were trained"??? Where were they trained, North Korea? And the police wonder why NOBODY wants anything to do with them, trusts them, or likes them? The Roman Centurians had more compassion.

Ian in Ottawa
said
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Hey Josey Wales, I'll give you the one with Sgt Pepper - he went too far. The rest of your examples don't change my mind -- the police have the right to do their jobs without having to get injured by unruly and violent individuals. Which we saw during the recent G8-20 and the riots in Vancouver. I wouldn't accept abuse on their part, but I accept the fact that once in a while, they need to use some force to subdue an idiot. Let's not forget, police officers aren't robots. They get injured/killed too, and they may become concerned for their lives in certain situations, so it's natural in those moments that they would use force. What people like you need to ask is what happened for that police officer to believe that he/she is about to get injured/killed. What people like you want is the freedom to do anything with no consequence. Throw rocks at politicians because you oppose them, but then cops will have to treat you to tea and crumpets before, during and after an arrest. And to correct another one of your false assumptions, I'm not a police officer.

George
said
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There are many great police and corrections officers. However, some bad apples do make it into the service.

Perhaps the duration of training needs to be extended to teach these men and women how to use "minimum" force to effect peaceful resolutions to situations.

It is NEVER appropriate to strike (or Taser or otherwise cause pain to) an individual to achieve compliance. This is restricted to acts of self defence on the part of the officer.

We want our men and women in uniform to be as safe as possible. Persons interacting with police also have a reasonable expectation of security of person as anticipated by the Charter of Rights.

Lori
said
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Ok I just watched the video. The woman is refusing to WALK! What are they supposed to do, kneel down and beg her to get up??? They HAD to drag her because she REFUSED to get up. Kind of like when your child throws a tantrum and makes herself dead weight when you try to pick her up. You end up picking her up or dragging her to her room. This woman was obviously not easy to pick up and carry. What were they supposed to do? And who threw the gown out of the cell? My guess would be the woman herself as she was so obviously NOT cooperating. Why would the police bring it in if they were just going to throw it out of the cell. It's another case of a criminal being babied. Someone needs a slap and it's not the police. And for those of you who jump on the police constantly, I hope when you are in a position to need them, they don't show up.

daryn
said
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I can't believe that people would actually defend these crooked cops. they are everywhere, Saskatoon, Vancouver, Regina Calgary, Ottawa etc.. Maybe instead of spending billions on prisons, Mr. Harper should be spending billions on making sure cops aren't crooked and racist.

Howard in Brampton
said
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Whether or not Ms. Carr created a disturbance in a cell, how does that justify 4, count 'em 4, officers to respond to whatever may have been going on? I mean really - was she going anywhere soon? The more disturbing thing for me is that the Police did everything they could to keep the video from being released. Why would that be? I think the Police should not have an expectation of more privacy in their stations or holding cell areas, than they would on the street. After all, if their doing nothing wrong, then there's no reason for them to worry, is there? If their rational in keeping it under wraps is in trying to maintain the public's confidence in their Police Force, I think they've achieved the exact opposite.

J.C.
said
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One has to wonder why the woman did not walk when she was likely asked to? Secondly why did she push her weight downward and put more pressure on her own arms? from what I see the woman did nothing to alleviate her position. Oh yes we see the video as it is but there is more to this than the video itself. Where is the sound? That would tell us more of what was going on and not just an optical vision. This video does not give us all the evidence but only part of it. If her lawyer wants the public to make a judgment as to whether she was treated fairly then we need to have all the evidence available. I saw no one punching, or beating the woman, and maybe I missed something but where in this video is her hair being pulled? I saw no evidence of excessive force either.

Prof. Pye Chartt
said
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Yep; she got "roughed-up" a bit. However, one gets the clear sense that she was a difficult, uncooperative cookie to deal with. (That's the way it rolls.) I do have a concern over the careless aggressiveness exhibited by Ottawa police, specifically with regard to the manner in which Ms. Carr was bound and brought to her feet from the floor, nearer the beginning of her custody. An arm injury isn't hard to imagine; yet, Ottawa's acting Chief of Police has directly implied (based upon both an SIU investigation and internal departmental probe) that she did not suffer a broken arm as a result of improper police conduct. Hmm. Not sure of the factual truth there, as Ms. Carr's civil suit continues the allegation. Ultimately, the rest of her "adventure" isn't really taped, and the pertinent contents of the investigative reports have not been publicized herein, so, we'll have to be content, at this juncture, to be less than fully apprised.

cook_manger
said
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Something missing here in this Video?? What happened inside this cell? Why not show all parts of this video? We saw she entered with one dress with blowing out clothes and comes out with different clothes. It is clear from this video that they are hiding something. We can see she is alone but dozens of cops there. I do not know how people support this kind of act by any means!!!

Bob in Chatham
said
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Police officers are very well paid and citizens, regardless of their behaviour, should be dealt with in a much more professional manner.There is absolutely no excuse for such barbaric treatment of prisoners. Officers who cannot control their emotions should be fired and replaced with people who are better able to deal with these situations.

Rufus - Toronto
said
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I see a lot of comments of people upset the police always get scrutinized and oh the poor police, I was a victim once, unfortunately history has taught us that human beings consistently abuse power. So learn the lessons of the past or you�re doomed to repeat right? If you ask me we need way more scrutiny when it comes to our police, judges, politicians and even these CEO'S that are ruining people�s lives.

Josey Wales
said
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acting police chief? how about the majority of the OPD...they too are "acting" as peace officers?Virtually from coast to coast... to yes, the third coast, many many cops are "acting" as police officers, when in fact they are criminals with legal powers to commit their crimes... over and over ...and over!Where is Vern the head goon? In jail where he and Mcsquinty SHOULD be? Or is he out training with US of Eh homeland security, getting tips on more effective ways to oppress and maim our citizens without leaving a messy evidence trail leading right to the fortresses we used to call community police departments?

Really?
said
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"but this chick is by no means remotely innocent here." Actually until she is tried and found guilty she is innocent. That's the way it works here in Canada. That's why we have courts etc. Police don't get to decide who is guilty and they don't get to hand out punishment either, that's what judges and juries are for. Geez even my 5 year old knows that.

jody
said
0 0

You get what you deserve!!!

Jim - North Saanich, BC
said
0 0

It is little wonder the original video went missing and why time after time police or their legal counsels strongly object to the introduction of video material as evidence against alleged police wrongdoing. If it is their favour, it gets introducted and widely disseminated. If not, it goes missing or is the subject of legal challenge in courts of law or public hearings. Incidents like this are a wakeup call to police everywhere that so long as this sort of behaviour is part of police culture and seemingly tolerated by some within the ranks and perhaps at upper levels of some services, it is little wonder why the public has become extremely cynical about police conduct everywhere. A retired jurist friend of mine laments the downhill slide he has seen in policing in this country and the seemingly growing trend toward police acting above and beyond the law. Video technology may be dispised by many policing organizations but were it not for it, I rather fear some policing bodies would act with little or no restraint nor in the end, face any redress in a manner such as arose from an unfortunate recorded incident at the Vancouver International Airport in 2008. Clearly the Ottawa police and its chief constable have some explaining to do in this and at least one other incident for which there is strong video evidence of misconduct..

peter in mb
said
0 0

What did she do to get arrested in the first place? mind you there was a case in Winnipeg a few years back when the swat team kicked down a family�s door at 3 AM because of an anatomies tip that there was a 7mm hand gun and 12 rounds of ammo in the house. They dragged the family and their 8 year old child outside in there pj�s in -30 winter in hand cuff held them in the back of police cars for 3 hours. When the police realized the tip was false and there was no gun they let them go without an apology for ransacking their home and kicking holes in the walls. The police are there to uphold the law, they are NOT The Law!!! And some of them need to learn that.

CraigW
said
0 0

Here's an idea - let's let the police investigate whether or not they did anything wrong. Oh yes, I forgot, we do that already. Well at least we save money by not prosecuting and jailing officers that abuse our citizens. Of course this is al the fault of the bleeding heart liberals who believe these criminals should not have to pay for their crimes.

Sean
said
0 0

Q-Okay, so if someone is arrested and refuses to walk... how can police get the person to cells. A-You drag them Q-If someone is suicidal in a cell, what do you do? A-Take their clothing away. Nothing wrong so far!P eople arrested MUST cooperate with police, if they don't, force will be used. No one was beaten here. If an arm was broken, oh well... stop resisting!I can't stand criminals constantly trying to skirt the offense they committed by claiming this BS. If she cooperated and didn't break the law to begin with, she wouldn't have to worry. She is the author of her own misfortune. And the only reason charges were dropped, is because the cost of the trial is not worth the media circus. Crowns drop charges all the time...And i was a defense attorney for 23 years. I'm not any more.

mark
said
0 0

Police brutality is increasing across Canada and unless dealt with severely we will end up like a third world dictatorship. For the type of charges she was facing there was NO reason to treat her this way and if in fact she was violated via "strip search" all the coppers should be put in jail. The police seem to get away with all kinds of abuse of our civil liberties and it's time to stop it before it's too late.

Chris
said
0 0

Are people commenting without watching the video? I did not see this person being hit, struck, pepperspray, tazered or kicked. Am I missing something? Was she restrained and dragged into the cells? Sure, but it was her that decided to not use her legs. She could have walked in. I know her legs work since in the one clip when she was being comforted by the officer (excessive comforting?) she walked just fine. Please watch the video people! If you watch it and still feel it is too much force - then please volunteer at your local constabulary to escort prisoners - because you truly have a gift.

Sue
said
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How much of this isn't shown? How much occured out of the view of the camera that the "victim" instigates?Looking at the one part, the officers are pulling her up from the ground because she is refusing to get up. Once they finally get her to her feet, she's automatically bending over and refusing to stand straight.Give me a break, sure the officers probably went too far....but this chick is by no means remotely innocent here.

albert
said
0 0

i can see why the police did not want the video released.. this country is becoming a policed state. on excuse for treating the public this way.

Anne Smith
said
0 0

Well it is funny, how at 65 years old, nobody had to watch a video of me trying to defend myself from the cops. Maybe it is because I never broke the law, ever. Girl, obey and you won`t be looked at either.

Mike Beard
said
0 0

I don't care what kind of prisoner this person was, nobody should be handled like that! I would sue the crap out of the cops and have those who did this arrested and jailed.

Philip C. in Calgary
said
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Some of you folks have blinders on. If you have an open mind, go to canlii.org and read Crampton v. Walton 2005 ABCA 81. Read how 8 members of "Calgary's finest" assaulted an innocent man in his own home as he was making a sandwich for lunch. And why did the case go to the Court of Appeal? Because the police will go to any lengths to justify their unconscionable abuse of power.

AC in NB
said
0 0

I'm curious to know how many posters have ever been detained or even in the basement of any jail in the wee hours of the morning. In my younger years unfortunately I have. That being said, you would not believe the actions of intoxicated people towards police. If this woman did at least half of what she was asked, I'm sure this would be a non issue. When being detained, you get what you give. I learnt the hard way too, and blame nobody but myself.

Jaid in Toronto
said
0 0

I think some of these cops should be interviewed by psychiatric nurses. Who knows, some of them may actually be too impulsive to even think about restraint...

robin hood
said
0 0

So show us the video and we�ll draw our own conclusions. In the past we�ve seen how some officers will respond when not in full view of the public, of course there are some who don�t care preferring instead to rely on intimidation tactics after the fact I seen it done. What puzzles me is how they can forget that they�re on camera while they�re on home turf? There is something real wrong when certain individual are given authority over others. Before handing out authority to future applicants seeking authoritarian positions you should be considering given psychiatric evaluations a little more thoroughly. (Your members are not immune to domestic violence) I believe there is value in having you partner�s back�but not if your partner(s) is an insane wacko! Don�t make yourself part of the problem. At the very least police should be trained in a manner that reflects it�s not them against us that most people adhere to the rules. So stop with the bullying intimidating tactics you�re using on our kids. If necessary a person can be restrained without hurting them I know I did it for ten years. Of course the situation changes if the suspect is armed�that�s where your training in evaluating the circumstance comes into play. Unless your suspect is a trained ninja (everything�s a weapon) pointing a pen at you from 3 feet away while talking with ones hands is not to be interpreted as a threat on your person! Are you people not trained in body language?

Jen
said
0 0

I agree with the comment that Mo in cardinal makes...But I'd also like to add that the media play a large role in the scrutiny of police. They only release certain details of police showing them in a bad light. they fail to show or report what the person did off camera to deserve getting a good smack. police have to deal with the lowest echelon of society. people who will spit at, hit, kick, punch shoot and stab a police officer just because they "can." the general public don't have a clue what police deal with daily and quite frankly, most of these low lives deserve a swift punch in the face to straighten them out!! Roxanne Carr probably has a wrap sheet the size of Canada and have had to deal with her garbage regularly!!

Anne
said
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if the acting police chief is not worried maybe it is time for a new police chief.

NS
said
0 0

Being a mouth piece does not give the Police the right to abuse, come on .... this is just plain abuse , the should be an outside review here and real charges laid against the police force. We pay them to protect not abuse , they are "Trained" to deal with this type of situation and they handled incorrectly and poorly. Call it what you want bulling .... what ever , this should not be tolirated from our police forces / police officers If the police did not think they did asomething wrong here they would not have fougt to hide the tapes Get use to it, video is everywhere now. The public is taping and recording everyting that is why these cases are coming out in the public now and more will come .

Give me a break
said
0 0

"To all you tree-hugging bleeding hearts out there, you only need to be the victim of a violent crime once to appreciate our Police force" That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever read. I got mugged once, does that mean I have to support a woman being beaten, stripped and humiliated ? How does that protect me or society ? What if that was your daughter ? Give your head a shake.

Josey Wales
said
0 0

Hey Ian, I guess your cable was disconnected during the G-20 experience... the Asia Pacific meetings a few years back with Sgt. Pepper the yellow stripped goon and his colleagues? Get it hooked back up, there is far more to come in the days ahead... you will be able to get more clarity as to why your levels of insult... are hyper sensitive. Have a good day officer.

Christopher Vingoe
said
0 0

What we have here is one side of the story. Until we know all the facts, we can only make assumptions. However, the officers may have stepped over the line, or they may not have. So we should not be pointing fingers in either direction until all the facts have been heard.

Colin
said
0 0

It doesn't matter that she was arrested or what she was arrested for. In Canada we have RIGHTS, arrested or not, and not even the police have the right to violate them. I have to do my job properly and ensure I don't light up civilians with my assualt rifle (not as easy as it sounds) so why should the police be any different ? Just because they wear blue doesn't mean they are excempt from being incompetent. Stop making excuses for fools who can't seem to do thier job properly.

RB in K-town
said
0 0

Does being a mouth piece warrant that kind of reaction? Sticks and stones. I can see if she physically went after them, but is that shown?

Ian in Ottawa
said
0 0

There's an important element missing in this story. What caused the police to "rough her up"? I don't believe for a second that police officers would decide on a particular day/night to arbitrarily rough up someone. Especially knowing there's video surveillance, and as soon as s-he is released they'd sue the police. So, what caused the police to use force? Why are we not told this piece of information in this article (I'll admit I haven't read anything else on this subject, but I shouldn't be expected to dig around for this pertinent info). I'm looking forward to seeing the video to determine if there was abuse, assuming that we can see what occurs immediately before force being used. And BTW saying that Canada is in danger of becoming like Egypt, Syria, Libya because of one case like this (still in court, therefore not proven) is astoundingly insulting.

JB in Ontario
said
0 0

Why is it some people pounce on the police anytime they have to use force. They are trained to use force when necessary and there are some unsavoury characters that they have to control to do their jobs. Let's support the police and let them do their jobs.

ML
said
0 0

There are some police officers out there that are very professional and others that are loose cannons. There are two kinds of police. Ones that were raised by authority and order and want to make a difference. Others that grew up being bullied and want to get back at the world.

Moderate Blue
said
0 0

Police everywhere and justice no where. It is up to the police to show physical restraint. If they can't they aren't serving the public's interest

GerryFROM mb. but not NDP.
said
0 0

Roughed up you say this what needs to happen to 70 per cent of 20 somethings when the cops arrested them.

FCS
said
0 0

I'm supprised they didn't just taser her so they didn't have to break a sweat. Useless power hungry goons.

Josey Wales
said
0 0

...ah, pictures/video speaks a thousand words and lies not often....that is unless your Rodney King, JFK, Mr D. @ YVR, or any cop with the TO or Ottawa goon squads we used to call a police department. all cell video should be never viewed by the department they are installed in, but get sent to a totally separate entity with no peace officers near it. To avoid all the missing ones, and so we can all really see how East Germany we have become as of late.

MAC
said
0 0

Police always abuse their power. Has anyone ever had an encounter with a police officer where they have been helpful? They say they risk their lives everyday for us... but in Ottawa at least it feels like there isn't much for them to do but abuse their power.

PB_Toronto
said
0 0

As I have stated time and time again no arrest is pretty or will ever be pretty. Although I agree video is a vital part of policing, it seems to me every arrest can be scrutinized unfairly. Its beyond me why people don't follow instruction. It's dumbfounding, but we live in a society not only of rights but more the "I can do whatever I want" society. We no longer have to listen, not only to police, but our parents, our teachers and even our elders. I guess these have more to do with money than being treated unjust. I think unless the police conform to the "Apu" philosophy of " I have asked you nicely to stop what you are doing and if you don't I will be forced to ask you nicely again...." police will never win. To think of it, I think i will throw a rock through my neighbors window, call it a protest (seems to make it acceptable), resist arrest and sue for how I was treated....seems to work for most...and i could use some extra cash

Munro - Brampton
said
0 0

Ahh the New World Order police, gotta love them. As Borat used to say, 'Not' ! As usual (like the G20) dispite all the evidence some of you will defend the actions of the police. I really don't get it. This is never justified, not once. Wait until it happens to you.

spaz
said
0 0

High time there was an independent body other than the SIU looking into allegations involving police. The issue I have with the SIU is they are former police officers investigating police.

Lesley
said
0 0

The article states that "Carr was arrested in 2008 and charged with obstructing police and damaging property". I'm not excusing what the police did, depending on what comes out in the video. I haven't seen it so I can't make a judgement. BUT, she was arrested for obstructing police and damaging property. HELLO!!!! She wasn't co-operating with police in the first place and she damaged property. What does that say about her? Was she intoxicated at the time? Was she high on something? Funny, that information doesn't appear in the article. If she wasn't intoxicated, or high then why wasn't she co-operating with the police?If something wrong did happen to her while she was in police custody, then by all means, throw the book at the officers that committed the offences against her.All I am saying is it takes two to tango, as the expression goes. She isn't totally blameless in this situation either. She ended up in jail for a REASON!!

Mo in Cardinal
said
0 0

I am always amazed at how Police are under constant scrutiny in their treatment of criminals. We go to sleep at night knowing that the men/women in Blue are out on the streets protecting us from an ever increasing, violent criminal element. We don't want the details, we just accept that it is done and our streets remain safer because the Police are doing their jobs. So why do we ask them to put their lives on the line day in and day out and then insist that they never be allowed to make an error in judgement. You cant have it all. To all you tree-hugging bleeding hearts out there, you only need to be the victim of a violent crime once to appreciate our Police force.

Thomas
said
0 0

There is something profoundly wrong within the Ottawa police makeup, unfortunately, it is a reflection of most police outfits across the country. Police may have a tough job and no doubt most women they arrest mouth off a lot more than the men, that seems to be verily common in most areas of society, however, these people are citzens and the polioce are hired to serve and protect them, if they harm them in doing that, they should be held accountable. This Larochelle character sounds like a real card and I hope that he is held accountable for his remarks and support if the police are found criminally accountable. He should be charged with what ever the police under him are charged with and fired, a little time wouldn't do any harm either. I certainly hope those women invovled are held to the same degree as any man invovled, fired and charged if that is required!

somtosay
said
0 0

and the cops wonder why people don't like them I wont answer the door for them for fear of getting shot or tazered lol if you see a cop run and hide lol

URU
said
0 0

Those who called themselves Officers and have committed a crime against society and the public. They should be held responsible and be sentence and jailed for assault. IF our Gov't don't do anything about those officers the public will lose trust in the law enforcements. Assaulting an innocent and helpless and DEFENSELESS victim by a group of men and woman is called violence. The should be punished and terminated without pay immediately. Is this what our country and Gov't calls Human Rights?

MLp
said
0 0

Watch your backs police, who's side would you be on if you were in Libya? THe people will have their way and make slobbering punks of you all

Michael
said
0 0

Please remember, when this video comes available, that a video is not a complete picture of the incident. A video can be made to show anything that people want it to.

Rob
said
0 0

Its not clear why she obstructed police and what damages she did, but she seems to remember what happened to her by police. The proof will be in the video I guess. Do hospital records show she was injured at that time. Just curious, as so many people who are arrested aim their problems at the police.

MB AJAX
said
0 0

She Is Likely a mouth piece, do not blame police, they have a very tough job dealing with low life

Dave T
said
0 0

Of course the video went missing lol .. How does that go without someone waving big red flags

Stop Them Now!
said
0 0

Go for it Roxie. If they aren't stopped we will become a country not unlike Egypt, Syria and all the rest!!!

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