Latest news with #MatthewBlock
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Yahoo
Police watchdog clears Edmonton officer who hit man multiple times during 2023 arrest
Alberta's main police oversight agency has cleared an Edmonton police officer who punched a man multiple times during an arrest in 2023. The man had tried to punch the officer after they spoke for a moment, so the seven punches the officer landed were reasonable to defend himself and make the arrest, according to a decision by Matthew Block, assistant executive director of the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT), that was released Tuesday. As a result, Block found there are no reasonable grounds to believe an offence was committed, the decision says. An Edmonton Police Service (EPS) spokesperson issued a statement Tuesday, thanking ASIRT for the review and its findings. A video of the incident, which triggered the investigation, lacked context, the statement said. But EPS appreciates that ASIRT found evidence that "provided this context and subsequently confirmed there are no reasonable grounds to believe that an offence was committed." ASIRT investigates incidents where police may have caused serious injury or death, as well as "serious and sensitive" allegations of police misconduct, such as sexual assault, fraud and obstruction of justice. Its investigation into this incident, which occurred Feb. 22, 2023, started after EPS learned a video of the arrest was circulating online and then informed the Alberta director of law enforcement. According to the ASIRT decision, police had caught the man speeding significantly and ignored speed bumps. Video shows a white vehicle parking smoothly into a parking spot. A police cruiser parks behind it seconds later. A man gets out of his vehicle and walks toward the cruiser. The officer behind the wheel, who was the subject of the ASIRT investigation, gets out too. They appear to talk with each other. WATCH | Video of Edmonton police officer's use of force during 2023 arrest: The decision notes that, at this point, the man and police officers provided conflicting accounts. The man, during an interview with ASIRT just over a year after the incident, said he approached the vehicle calmly, asking what was going on and how he could help, before the officer ordered him to return to his vehicle. The officers told ASIRT that the man was confrontational and told them to leave the property. The subject officer declined an interview, as is his right, but supplied ASIRT with multiple reports and his notes. The witness officer did an interview and provided her notes and reports. The video shows the man return to his vehicle. The decision says he told ASIRT he was taking the keys out of the ignition. But the subject officer, who followed him, said the man seemed to be reaching under the seat or console, which led him to believe he may be getting a weapon or hiding something. The officer put his hand on his gun and ordered the man to show his hands, the ASIRT decision says. He said the man complied but kept acting aggressively, so he told him that they had to discuss the driving pattern. The man eventually steps away from the officer again until he is hidden in the frame by a pillar. Another officer steps out of the cruiser. The man had told ASIRT that the first officer permitted him to leave, and he didn't hear the officer tell him to stop. But the officer said he had told the man he was not allowed to leave, the decision says. When the man reappears in the video, he is walking away. The first officer jogs up to him. According to the decision, the officer then grabs the man's left arm and spins him video shows a struggle, during which the man puts his hands up, either to punch the officer or to shield himself. The officer then lands at least four punches before the man drops to the ground. He hits him four more times before he and his partner make the arrest. The man's injuries included a concussion and marks on his face, a left-shoulder injury, cuts from the handcuffs and post-traumatic stress disorder, the decision says. Man swung first: ASIRT Whether or not the man tried to punch the police officer was a major factor in this investigation, said Block, from ASIRT, in the decision. Under the Criminal Code of Canada, police officers have the right to use as much force as is necessary to perform their duties, and that force must be reasonable and proportionate given the perceived threat. Officers, like anyone else, also have the right to defend themselves. The man and officer accused each other of throwing the first punch, according to the decision, and the witness officer told ASIRT she may have missed that part of the conflict while reaching for her stun gun. Block found, however, that the video showed the man took what "appears to be a fighting stance" and clearly tried to punch the officer at least once, the decision says. He also noted that the officer's punches happened within several seconds. As a result, the reasons for using such force would likely succeed in this case, the decision says. So there is no reason to believe the officer committed an offence. Lawyer disagrees The man's lawyer Heather Steinke-Attia, however, disagrees with Block's assessment. "It determines — and focuses on — my client reaching his arm out in front of him, and determining that that was an attempted punch at the officer," Steinke-Attia told CBC News. "He instinctively put his arms up in anticipation that he was about to get punched — which anyone would do — and ASIRT refused to give any consideration to that possibility," she said. The man was charged with obstruction and assaulting a police officer, and issued two traffic tickets — although the charges were withdrawn on Jan. 12, 2024, the decision says. Steinke-Attia felt the decision unfairly weighed the length of time between the incident and when her client spoke with ASIRT. He likely would have been instructed by his then-lawyer to exercise his right to remain silent until the charges were withdrawn, she said. The EPS professional standards branch will review the decision and determine next steps, per the provincial Police Service Regulation, its statement said. Shortly after the incident, the officers' duty status was under review. An EPS spokesperson confirmed Tuesday that they are both on active duty.
CBC
23-07-2025
- CBC
Police watchdog clears Edmonton officer who hit man multiple times during 2023 arrest
Social Sharing Alberta's main police oversight agency has cleared an Edmonton police officer who punched a man multiple times during an arrest in 2023. The man had tried to punch the officer after they spoke for a moment, so the seven punches the officer landed were reasonable to defend himself and make the arrest, according to a decision by Matthew Block, assistant executive director of the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT), that was released Tuesday. As a result, Block found there are no reasonable grounds to believe an offence was committed, the decision says. An Edmonton Police Service (EPS) spokesperson issued a statement Tuesday, thanking ASIRT for the review and its findings. A video of the incident, which triggered the investigation, lacked context, the statement said. But EPS appreciates that ASIRT found evidence that "provided this context and subsequently confirmed there are no reasonable grounds to believe that an offence was committed." ASIRT investigates incidents where police may have caused serious injury or death, as well as "serious and sensitive" allegations of police misconduct, such as sexual assault, fraud and obstruction of justice. Its investigation into this incident, which occurred Feb. 22, 2023, started after EPS learned a video of the arrest was circulating online and then informed the Alberta director of law enforcement. According to the ASIRT decision, police had caught the man speeding significantly and ignored speed bumps. Video shows a white vehicle parking smoothly into a parking spot. A police cruiser parks behind it seconds later. A man gets out of his vehicle and walks toward the cruiser. The officer behind the wheel, who was the subject of the ASIRT investigation, gets out too. They appear to talk with each other. WATCH | Video of Edmonton police officer's use of force during 2023 arrest: EPS use of force under investigation 2 years ago The decision notes that, at this point, the man and police officers provided conflicting accounts. The man, during an interview with ASIRT just over a year after the incident, said he approached the vehicle calmly, asking what was going on and how he could help, before the officer ordered him to return to his vehicle. The officers told ASIRT that the man was confrontational and told them to leave the property. The subject officer declined an interview, as is his right, but supplied ASIRT with multiple reports and his notes. The witness officer did an interview and provided her notes and reports. The video shows the man return to his vehicle. The decision says he told ASIRT he was taking the keys out of the ignition. But the subject officer, who followed him, said the man seemed to be reaching under the seat or console, which led him to believe he may be getting a weapon or hiding something. The officer put his hand on his gun and ordered the man to show his hands, the ASIRT decision says. He said the man complied but kept acting aggressively, so he told him that they had to discuss the driving pattern. The man eventually steps away from the officer again until he is hidden in the frame by a pillar. Another officer steps out of the cruiser. The man had told ASIRT that the first officer permitted him to leave, and he didn't hear the officer tell him to stop. But the officer said he had told the man he was not allowed to leave, the decision says. When the man reappears in the video, he is walking away. The first officer jogs up to him. According to the decision, the officer then grabs the man's left arm and spins him around. The video shows a struggle, during which the man puts his hands up, either to punch the officer or to shield himself. The officer then lands at least four punches before the man drops to the ground. He hits him four more times before he and his partner make the arrest. The man's injuries included a concussion and marks on his face, a left-shoulder injury, cuts from the handcuffs and post-traumatic stress disorder, the decision says. Man swung first: ASIRT Whether or not the man tried to punch the police officer was a major factor in this investigation, said Block, from ASIRT, in the decision. Under the Criminal Code of Canada, police officers have the right to use as much force as is necessary to perform their duties, and that force must be reasonable and proportionate given the perceived threat. Officers, like anyone else, also have the right to defend themselves. The man and officer accused each other of throwing the first punch, according to the decision, and the witness officer told ASIRT she may have missed that part of the conflict while reaching for her stun gun. Block found, however, that the video showed the man took what "appears to be a fighting stance" and clearly tried to punch the officer at least once, the decision says. He also noted that the officer's punches happened within several seconds. As a result, the reasons for using such force would likely succeed in this case, the decision says. So there is no reason to believe the officer committed an offence. Lawyer disagrees The man's lawyer Heather Steinke-Attia, however, disagrees with Block's assessment. "It determines — and focuses on — my client reaching his arm out in front of him, and determining that that was an attempted punch at the officer," Steinke-Attia told CBC News. "He instinctively put his arms up in anticipation that he was about to get punched — which anyone would do — and ASIRT refused to give any consideration to that possibility," she said. The man was charged with obstruction and assaulting a police officer, and issued two traffic tickets — although the charges were withdrawn on Jan. 12, 2024, the decision says. Steinke-Attia felt the decision unfairly weighed the length of time between the incident and when her client spoke with ASIRT. He likely would have been instructed by his then-lawyer to exercise his right to remain silent until the charges were withdrawn, she said. The EPS professional standards branch will review the decision and determine next steps, per the provincial Police Service Regulation, its statement said. Shortly after the incident, the officers' duty status was under review. An EPS spokesperson confirmed Tuesday that they are both on active duty.
Edmonton Journal
22-07-2025
- Edmonton Journal
ASIRT clears Edmonton police officer who repeatedly punched arrestee in the head; man's lawyer disputes finding on who threw first punch
Article content Alberta's police watchdog is not recommending charges against an Edmonton Police Service (EPS) officer who repeatedly punched a man during an arrest, concluding that the arrestee threw the first punch. Article content That determination is being criticized by the man's lawyer, who says there's little evidence to support the finding. Article content On Tuesday, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) released its report on the Feb. 22, 2023, arrest in a Cromdale apartment parking lot, which was captured on surveillance video. Article content Article content The clip, which lasts less than a minute, shows the officer approaching a man from behind, grabbing him and throwing three punches during a scuffle. Both men fall to the pavement, after which the officer throws four more punches to the man's head. Article content Article content ASIRT assistant executive director Matthew Block — who, according to an email obtained by Postmedia, is taking over as the agency's acting head after current director Michael Ewenson was tapped to run Alberta's new police misconduct agency — concluded the arrestee threw the first punch. Article content The man's lawyer, Heather Steinke-Attia, said she is confused how Block reached that conclusion. Article content 'How can you say that my client punched (the officer)?' she said in an interview. 'You didn't even give consideration to the possibility that what he was doing was holding up his arms in self-defence, as an instinctive human reaction to anticipating somebody punching you.' Article content Article content The incident happened as the man, whom Steinke-Attia declined to identify, returned to his apartment after a trip to the gas station around midnight. The officer claimed he and his partner followed his vehicle because it was speeding. Article content Article content The man parked in a covered parking area and was soon confronted by the officers. He told ASIRT he reacted to the officers' politely and was told to 'get back to your f—ing car.' The officer told him he was speeding. When he asked if he was free to go, the officer allegedly replied yes. Article content The officer, who Steinke-Attia identified as Matthew Forde, told another story. He exercised his right as a suspect not to agree to an interview with ASIRT but submitted notes claiming the man was screaming profanities and began suspiciously rooting around in his car. He denied telling the man he was free to leave. Article content The officer's partner said she did not see the suspect attempt to punch her colleague, but said this might have been because she was busy drawing her Taser.
