Following an emotional press conference earlier this month in which Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam of Alberta detailed his assault at the hands of police, dash cam video of the arrest has been made public.
The footage—which some readers may consider graphic—shows Adam being tackled and punched by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). At one point, he is placed in a chokehold after an officer tells him "Fuck you! Don't resist arrest!"
Per the Guardian, the violent actions by police occurred back in March and began over an "allegation of an expired license plate." According to the report, the vehicle had previously been impounded by cops in connection with an unrelated matter and released back to Adam days before what his lawyers describes as a "false arrest" which ultimately saw Adam charged with resisting arrest and unlawful assault of a police officer.
The newly released footage "speaks for itself," says Adam's attorney Brian Beresh, and also shows Freda Courtoreille—Adam's wife—being grabbed by police. Notably, she has late-stage rheumatoid arthritis.
"It is now clear why the RCMP refused to release the police video to the public," Beresh said.
An investigation by the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team remains ongoing. Below, watch the full dash cam video via CBC.
Warning: The footage is graphic.
