This is a screengrab of a video taken by a Kangiqsualujjuaq resident that shows a KRPF officer entering the front door of a home just after midnight on May 9, in response to reports of screaming coming from the home. Police say they’re investigating a potential assault.
Officers acted appropriately when they kicked in door: Nunavik police
KRPF officers had to break into home to respond to alleged assault
The Kativik Regional Police Force says two of its officers acted “appropriately” when they kicked in the door of a home in response to an alleged assault on Saturday, May 9.
The KRPF said it received reports just after midnight of screaming, banging and other loud noises coming from inside a home in Kangiqsualujjuaq, the police force said in a news release on Monday, May 11.
When two officers responded to the call, the KRPF said they knocked on the front door, identifying themselves as police. But as no one answered and the screaming inside continued, the KRPF said its officers eventually broke the door to be able to reach whoever was inside.
“Inside, they found an alleged victim with injuries,” the KRPF said, adding that “a presumed aggressor has been identified.”
For people living nearby, however, the officers’ behaviour appeared to be aggressive and alarming.
In a video taken by a concerned neighbour across the street, a KRPF officer is seen repeatedly throwing their weight against the inner door of the home. The video, which was widely shared on social media over the weekend, has since been removed.
A woman who was inside the home at the time of the incident declined to comment when contacted by Nunatsiaq News.
For its part, the KRPF said the investigation is ongoing, and the police can’t release more details.
“However, preliminarily, I can say that the officers acted appropriately and within KRPF policies,” said deputy chief Jean-François Morin, who watched the video footage.
“I would like to remind everyone that videos don’t always tell the whole story and that people shouldn’t jump to conclusions. They can be put on the internet without any context.”
As of May 11, no one has been arrested in relation to the May 9 incident.
Great work Krpf. Yes, blame the police is the easiest thing to do. They have a tough job with little or no appreciation. I hear it all the time: people saying I heard a noise next door or up the street. Sounded like some woman was getting beat up, and it’s not my problem they say, I didn’t call the police. But people are quick to film the police in action, and film only the parts where the police appear to be the bad guys. But the same people would allow a fight to continue to the point of someone getting seriously injured or killed.
Videos don’t lie.
A video is as good as the images it’s capturing. It can be turned on, or turned off to not capture what’s not considered important to capture. What we see in this video, is what was filmed at the time that it was turned on. We don’t see the before and after effects. It’s video that don’t lie, but the minds of people do lie, and misinformed itself.
Which is why you should film all police interactions from beginning to end, and why we need to pass law requiring our police services to be equipped with cameras.
Oh yes, police will do well, and public also with cameras on the police. It would be good to not only show the police at work, but the idiots they have to deal with. There are a few police who are abusive, very few. But most criminals need to be shown on film to the public , that might help prevent crime.
The old days are gone. Who can remember the days where an idiot was shooting around town, or walking around town with a gun. Some drunk or deranged individual on the loose, and nothing was done. There were no police in town, other than a couple of special constables many times afraid to respond to the call, or if they did respond there was no consequence at all, while the sq officials would visit once a month when things we quiet?
Be thankful for the police. As written in a comment above, people were not well protected back in the day. Idiots were getting away with so much assault and abuse. I can remember calling the Sq back in the day and they said since they’re not in the village that was nothing they could do for me. If we had went on with the way the SQ used to visit most small communities, it would be more horrible today. So be thankful for the krpf.