Editor's note: Some of the language used in the above video may be unsuitable for some readers.
A Barrie man says he's happy to see the officer who was filmed aggressively pinning him down on a downtown street has now been charged with assault and assault with a weapon.
Pushing back his hair with one hand and pointing to his forehead with the other, 20-year-old Skyler Kent said he has scars from the Feb. 4 encounter.
The video that captured the incident was widely circulated online and resulted in an outpouring of support, he said.
“I’m happy he got charged. I’m a little disappointed he’s on paid leave and still unsure if he’s going to be a police officer on the force after how he treated me and how he behaved as an officer,” Kent said Thursday afternoon.
After the video captured a great deal of attention on social media, Kent said he heard from many well-wishers who wanted to make sure he was OK.
Kent was also charged that day with causing a disturbance and assault with attempt to resist arrest. His next court date is May 17.
He said he hasn’t had any issues downtown since the Feb. 4 incident, nor has he been treated any differently by any police officers he has encountered.
The day after Kent’s downtown arrest, Barrie Police Chief Kimberley Greenwood requested that the OPP conduct an independent investigation into the circumstances. The OPP Professional Standards Unit concluded that probe on Thursday with the charges against Const. Jason Stamp, who has been with the local police department for 18 years.
Const. Stamp, 46, is scheduled to appear in court June 7.
The Feb. 4 incident happened around 3 p.m. along Dunlop Street East in downtown Barrie, near Owen Street and in front of Meridian Place. Videos of the arrest quickly began circulating on social media.
At one point in one of the videos, the officer flips Kent over and strikes him in the head.
Another video shows the officer on top of the man with a taser to his shoulder. The officer asks, “Do you want this?” followed by “Put your hands behind your back right now or I’m lighting you up.”
Another video obtained by BarrieToday shows the initial interaction between Kent and the officer. The video shows a Barrie police car parked beside Kent as he leans in toward the cruiser's window.
As Kent begins to skateboard away, the police car speeds up and pulls in front of him.
The officer exits his vehicle and approaches Kent before getting back into his vehicle while the 20-year-old stays beside the car.
A witness told BarrieToday that's when Kent received a ticket for going through the red light on his skateboard at the Five Points.
What followed about 20 minutes later was the violent altercation that led to the external investigation by the OPP.
