(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)
A Manitoba RCMP officer has been charged with assault following the arrest of a suspect at the Winnipeg airport more than three years ago.
Video of Nathan Lasuik being detained by officers at the James Richardson International Airport made headlines shortly after the August 1, 2019 incident.
In the video, which was shared across social media, an officer can be seen forcefully kneeling on Lasuik’s neck, to which the suspect complained multiple times that he couldn’t breathe.
The video went on for several minutes until additional officers arrived and placed Lasuik, who was handcuffed, into a cruiser car.
The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba was notified of the incident on August 11, 2021 shortly after the allegations came to light during Lasuik’s criminal proceedings.
The IIU investigated the allegation of excessive force by two RCMP officers during the arrest, but only recommended charges against one of the officers.
Cst. Eric Gerein has been charged with assault and will appear in Winnipeg court on September 26.
