By now, a large portion of the hockey community has had a chance to see the video of a 21-year-old Calgary man being arrested while playing hockey on an outdoor rink. The young man was violently hauled to the ground and threatened with a tazer for failing to comply with police instructions to both identify himself and to get on the ground.
In the event that you have not yet seen the video or read the story, you can see it here.
The video is going viral, and many on both sides are stating their case for why the arrest was justified and why the arrest was an overstep by police.
The Calgary Police Department have issued a statement on the matter on Saturday afternoon.
Obviously, tensions are higher than normal due to COVID-19 protocols being enforced due to a recent spike in cases in the province. Sure, the young man should probably have complied with police demands on the scene, but he clearly was not posing a direct threat to anyone. He was playing hockey with his friends.
This is a tough one for sure. Unfortunately, we don't have all the information, as the video quite obviously began midway through the altercation. I'm sure we haven't heard the last of this story.
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