Some more news about the cyclist that was seen in the widely shared video of a Toronto police takedown. The unnamed rider suffered a concussion and was referred to a head injury clinic following the incident, according to a report in the Toronto Star.
Furthermore, Toronto lawyer and cycling advocate David Shellnutt said the rider continues to experience concussion symptoms, along with soft-tissue injuries, cuts, bruises and psychological trauma.
The incident
On Sunday evening, police were ticketing cyclists on a popular bike lane by the lakeshore for failure to stop at a stop sign.
However, in the footage that was posted, it shows an officer running after a cyclist before the pair move out of frame followed by three cops pinning the man to the ground beside his bike.
The rider is taken to the ground during an interaction with police. The cyclist asks: “What did I do?” An officer responds, “You didn’t stop.”
What’s next
Shellnutt said he has been retained to represent the cyclist who was tackled by Toronto police officers during an incident on Queen’s Quay near Little Norway Park on May 31.
Shellnutt also questioned why police did not provide medical attention at the scene.
“We have serious questions for Toronto Police on why they did not provide medical attention to someone with an obvious head injury,” Shellnutt said, adding that the cyclist’s family later took him to hospital.
The comments come after Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw publicly defended the officers’ actions, saying they were enforcing traffic laws in the area. You can see his full statement in the video below.
Shellnutt criticized that response, arguing police leadership has failed to acknowledge the possibility that officers may have used excessive force.
“Chief Demkiw is an experienced police officer and we find it incredible that even he cannot admit when perhaps his officer went too far,” Shellnutt said.
Shellnutt further argued that Toronto Police’s own collision data does not show Queen’s Quay to be a location with a high number of serious injuries or fatalities.
In a statement, Shellnutt, a.k.a The Biking Lawyer, cites the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in the case of R. v. Nasogaluak.
“Section 25(3) also prohibits a police officer from using a greater degree of force, i.e. that which is intended or likely to cause death or grievous bodily harm, unless he or she believes that it is necessary to protect him- or herself, or another person…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…