Police officer charged with assault: ASIRT

Alberta's police watchdog has charged an Edmonton police officer after he allegedly assaulted a man following an arrest in 2019.

On June 11, 2019, at about 9:48 p.m., Edmonton police officers came across a stolen Chevrolet Colorado truck, which fled after a marked police vehicle began following it, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team said in a news release Friday.

EPS Air 1 followed the truck, and it eventually stopped in the parking lot of an apartment building in the area of 99 Avenue and 106 Street.

Officers responded and boxed in the stolen truck with police vehicles and the driver was arrested.

“During the arrest, the involved officer used force both before and after handcuffs were applied.

“The charge relates only to uses of force applied after the man was taken into custody and handcuffed,” the release states.

Following an investigation, ASIRT determined there was reasonable grounds to believe an offence had been committed.

After consulting with the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service and a review of the evidence as a whole, ASIRT executive director Susan Hughson determined the officer should be charged.

On Thursday, Const. Dylan Awid was charged with one count of assault.

Awid was released on an appearance notice and is scheduled to appear in Edmonton provincial court on Nov. 18.