Canada: Peel Police Give Clean Chit To Cop Seen In Brampton Temple Attack Video

Canada's Peel Police has said that the police officer who was caught having an altercation with protestors at Brampton's Hindu Mandir, "acted within the lawful execution of his duties."

In a statement, Peel Police said that it takes complaints about officer conduct seriously and have conducted a review of the incident. "Following an investigation, it was determined that the officer depicted in the video was attempting to disarm an individual who refused to surrender their weapon and became confrontational, and accordingly acted within the lawful execution of his duties," the statement said.

In the viral video, the officer in question was seen assaulting a protester who raised questions about police use of force.

The consular event attended by Indian officials at Brampton's Hindu Mandir was disrupted by protestors holding banners in support of Khalistan on November 3. They allegedly beat up people with sticks outside the temple.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the incident.

"What the video doesn't show is the officer identifying a protester for the purposes of seizing a weapon that he's holding. The protester then retreats into the crowd and he, along with others, begin to physically resist the officer. The officer's body-worn camera, which captured the interaction, was reviewed," Const. Tyler Bell-Morena stated.

In the clip, the cop is apparently trying to snatch a stick from the protestors following which there is an altercation. Once the stick is taken by the officer, police disperses the crowd.

The statement concluded, "Peel Regional Police is committed to respecting an individual's right to peacefully assemble, as per the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. However, there is no tolerance for any acts of violence, threats of violence or vandalism during any peaceful assembly. We appreciate the cooperation of those who remained peaceful during these events."

On the other hand, the authorities had earlier suspended a cop named Harinder Sohi after a video showed him holding a Khalistan flag.