Images of attempted arrests in Montreal went viral this weekend.
Also read: Minor needed after police beat two women
Last Thursday, a teenager arrested by two SPVM agents was able to escape as police tried to handcuff him.
In an interview with TVA Nouvelles, retired SPVM inspector Andre Droucher questioned the technique used by the two officers, who each pulled the suspect’s hand in the opposite direction.
“With my partner, I remember things happening like that. I would have shouted: ” Let him go! ” Immediately (…) I would use his force and throw him to the ground,” says Andre Drocher.
However, in his opinion, the police have done a good job. The retired police officer explains that the stress and fear of making an overly aggressive arrest may have contributed to the failure of the intervention.
“From the beginning, if we had used powerful bare-handed techniques, perhaps this news would have been picked up in the news bulletin, but not for the same reasons,” notes a former analyst at SPVM.
For his part, Daniel Clorex, an investigator of police interventions, ensures that police officers receive extensive training in arresting techniques.
“I remember the time I was there, we practiced many times and a lot,” says Daniel Clorex.
“I was a big guy, I had to escape,” he notes.
All the former police officers consulted by TVA Nouvelles recall that each intervention is different and the technique taught is often difficult to apply.
To watch the full report, watch the video above.
