WARNING: The video at the top of this story contains footage that some may find disturbing.
Ontario’s police watchdog is investigating the actions of three Barrie police officers after a man died while in custody last week.
Barrie police say the arrest took place at around 2:30 p.m. on Friday. Police have not confirmed the exact location of the ordeal.
They say the man was then taken to the Barrie Police station for processing where he went into “medical distress.” Paramedics provided first-aid at the station and transported him to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre where he later died.
Family and friends have identified him as 32-year-old Orlando Brown.
A witness who captured video of the altercation on his cell phone later posted it on social media. The video has been viewed thousands of times.
The video appears to show the officers struggle with Brown while trying to arrest him near some trees between two buildings.
Throughout the video, the sound of a Taser being deployed could be heard before Brown is brought to the ground. An officer shouts “stop resisting” and “put your hands behind your back” while the others forcibly hold him on the ground.
Lance Freeman, who recorded the video, told CTV News Barrie that he watched the officers approach Brown while he was asleep near a bush.
“They asked him to see his ID and before he even had a chance to pull his ID out, the one guy just kicked him and the other started chasing him,” Freeman said.
He said he pulled out his cellphone when he saw one of the officers kick Brown “right in the temple.”
“Everybody was telling the cops to stop, that they were using force,” he said. “How do you expect someone to sit still when you’re Tasering him?”
Freeman claims he stopped recording when one of the officers pointed at him and said he was "next.”
“I don’t know what he did before or his past or what they were looking for,” he said. “He was doing nothing wrong.”
The Special Investigations Unit, which has taken carriage of the investigation, says there was an outstanding warrant for Brown.
The Barrie Police Association tweeted about the incident, calling it "tragic.”
“We stand behind our members 100%,” the tweet reads.
Barbara South, Brown’s aunt, said her nephew was a generous and loving person who has “never been aggressive.”
“Yes he goes off the track a little bit… nobody’s perfect, but he doesn’t have a mean bone in his body,” she said.
South believes Brown would have never died after his arrest if he was white.
“They de-escalate and they find ways to get to calm a situation without any violence when the person is white. But when you’re black, your life has no value,” she said.
“My nephew was murdered… There’s no doubt about that.”
The mother of the victim’s 11-year-old child told CTV News Barrie that she’s beside herself with grief.
“She’s left without her dad,” Donna Dubois said via phone. “How do I explain this to her? How is she going to think that police officers are safe when this is what they did to her dad?”
Dubois said Brown was a “fantastic dad” who was always willing to help a friend in need. She said she believes Brown had “run-ins” with the law and had a warrant out for his arrest but intended on turning himself in.
“He did not deserve this whatsoever, not whatsoever,” she said. “I’m completely devastated I couldn’t even watch the video. I’m disgusted.”
The SIU says it has assigned three investigators and two forensic investigators to look into the incident. They’re urging anyone who has video of the altercation to provide it to them.
Scott Giovannetti, a retired police officer who specializes in use of force training, says that it’s too early to point fingers because the investigation is ongoing.
“The challenge that we have right now is that we don’t know all the facts,” he said.
“Right now the police can’t be forthcoming with information because they’re not legally allowed to and the SIU is only giving out limited information involving an investigation that’s being conducted. There’s a lot of things in this investigation that will take time.”
Giovannetti believes the video shows a “typical” arrest by officers where there is resistance. He said it appears to him that officers followed protocol and that a “myriad of things” could have happened that led to Brown’s death after he was taken into custody.
“Anytime that someone loses their life, it’s tragic and I think the situation can be described as that,” he said. “This is a challenge… No police officer anticipates having to do that and the end result is someone losing their life. It is tragic for those officers as well.”
Meanwhile, a memorial has grown near the site where the incident occurred. Candles, flowers and handwritten signs with the words #JusticeforOrlando and #EndPoliceBrutality line a wooden ledge near the sidewalk. A vigil is also planned for Brown on Monday night.
Dubois said she is struggling to find the words to explain Brown’s death to their daughter.
“It’s completely unbelievable,” she said. “How does this happen?”
