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Video shows Terrace RCMP officer punching handcuffed individual

Two separate investigations into the officer's actions are now underway
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Cell phone video obtained by The Terrace Standard shows a man being hit by an arresting officer

A TERRACE RCMP officer is the subject of two investigations relating to his actions in the arrest of a person here May 28.

An RCMP Code of Conduct investigation has started as has an investigation by a new provincial body, the Independent Investigations Office of BC (IIO), charged with looking into the actions of police officers.

The officer, so far unidentified, has been placed on administrative leave for the time being. The other two officers present at the time of the arrest are still on active duty.

Watch the video:

Inspector Dana Hart, the commanding officer of the Terrace RCMP detachment, said he ordered the Code of Conduct investigation and asked that the IIO step in with its own investigation after becoming aware of the video on Oct. 7.

Taken just before 10 p.m. May 28, 2014, the video shows an officer physically restraining a male person who is on the ground in front of a business on Lazelle Ave.

It shows several blows being administered to the back of the head of the person.

Hart stressed that the two investigations are independent of each other.

The administrative leave provision will be assessed and could change as the investigations move along, he added.

While Hart said the video, approximately two minutes in length, does not capture the specific chain of events leading to the arrest, he did say officers were responding to a 911 call.

There was a call about a fight between a male and a female on the 4700 block of Lazelle, behind the theatre,” said Hart.

There were two individuals and both were taken into custody.”

The male is currently facing charges and is under the age of 18, meaning that under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, he has not been named.

I've been very public about this and that is that we're held accountable for our actions,” said Hart of the steps taken since becoming aware of the incident.

That's my expectation and that of the RCMP – that concerns be dealt with properly.”

The video was first provided Sept. 25 to The Terrace Standard and the newspaper does not know who filmed it.

Hart did ask that the person who took the video come forward so that as much information as possible can be compiled by RCMP and IIO investigators.

We want this event to be properly investigated,” he said.