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Videos circulating on social media show a man injured during an arrest in Mississauga.

The videos show several Peel Regional Police officers inside a restaurant using force to arrest a Black man. In one video, a police officer puts an arm around the man’s neck while another officer grabs the man’s arm as he tries to escape.

Another video shows the man being punched and thrown to the ground. He continues to try to get out but the police hold him back while he is handcuffed. Blood appears on the ground and the man goes limp.

The arrest took place inside Parish 14, a Caribbean restaurant located in a plaza between Dundas Street East and Hurontario Street, according to a CBC report.

Const. Peel police spokesperson Tyler Bell-Morena told INsauga.com the man was arrested around 5 p.m. Monday as part of a drug trafficking investigation.

He faces charges of obstructing police and possession of cannabis for the purpose of trafficking, Bell-Morena said. According to him, a large quantity of cannabis was seized.

The arrested man told CBC he was doing nothing wrong and only possessed a small amount of cannabis for personal use, and a worker at the Parish 14 restaurant said she thought the force used by the police was excessive.

Attempts to contact Parish 14 were not immediately successful.

The man also said he believed he was targeted because he was black.

Peel police use of force statistics from 2023 show that Black people are disproportionately stopped by force. In 2023, 276 black people were arrested with use of force against 196 white people. Peel’s population in 2023 was 9.87% Black and 29.18% White.

Peel Regional Police use of force statistics from 2023.

Bell-Morena said police had reason to arrest the man and that he physically resisted arrest.

“Officers are doing their job when they see a violation and attempt to influence the arrest,” Bell-Morena said. “The individual happens to be black. »

He said this particular plaza has been the subject of ongoing community complaints for drug activity, loitering and trespassing. Officers from the Community Response Team regularly patrol the area.

While the staff member suggested arresting the man in the restaurant put other people in danger, Bell-Morena said officers couldn’t wait for him to leave the establishment. He said police could not risk the destruction of evidence or continued criminal activity at the restaurant.

In response to concerns that the force was excessive, Bell-Morena said the man was sent to the hospital and the scene was guarded. He added that the man did not lose consciousness.

“Any time someone indicates they are suspected of being unconscious, we want them to be examined neurologically,” he said. “He was medically cleared.”

The blood on the floor was from a cut lip, he added.

This type of use of force happens often, Bell-Morena said.

“I will say frankly that it was not overtly different from the struggles that occur every day,” he said. “The difference here is that this was filmed and went somewhat viral.”

When officers have grounds to make an arrest and they inform you that you are under arrest, it is necessary to take a physical check, he said.

“When you are informed that you are under arrest by a police officer, you actually have no legal right to resist,” he said.

This man has the right to file a complaint, he added.

When asked why the Special Investigations Unit was not called, Bell-Morena said that in this case his injuries did not meet the threshold.

The SIU told INsauga.com that could be because the person arrested did not suffer serious injuries.

The investigative jurisdiction of the SIU is limited to cases where there has been serious injury, death, sexual assault or where the person has been shot.

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