Regina man alleges RCMP used excessive force in arrest
Warning: This story contains graphic language and details some readers may find disturbing.
A Regina man is accusing RCMP in Punnichy of using excessive force during an arrest last week.
Braxtin Asapace, 20, has numerous bruises and cuts on his face and body after the encounter.
"I was scared, I was really scared for my life, I didn’t want to get it taken away," he told CTV News. "It just made me feel helpless, hopeless, very traumatizing."
According to Asapace, he was drinking with his mom and stepdad at their home on Kawacatoose First Nation on Wednesday night. As they became more intoxicated, Twilla Asapace said she called the police on her son to avoid the situation escalating.
RCMP said they were told two individuals in the home were assaulted by Braxtin.
"He suffers from bipolar depression, so I didn’t want things to escalate between us, so I called the RCMP to come and get him, just to put him in the drunk tank for the night," she said.
Braxtin says he was in a bedroom when RCMP arrived at the home. He claims they put him in handcuffs and alleges that’s when things started to get rough.
"All of a sudden, he started using his right arm to elbow me like this in the head and he said, 'Shut the f--k up', and really I was in disbelief, I couldn’t believe that was happening to me," Asapace said.
As he was being taken outside, Braxtin claims he was pushed down the front stairs of the house and landed on his face.
"I was trying to get up when I was handcuffed, I was using my legs and when I was looking back, all I seen was this black boot come and kick me right in my face," he said.
As he was being put in the back of the police cruiser, Asapace said he asked the officer if he was proud of what he’s doing.
"He said, 'F--k ya, damn rights,'" Asapace alleges. "I was like, 'Oh, I hope you got that camera recording.'"
Asapace said he was taken to the RCMP detachment where he spent the night in a holding cell and was released the next morning without charges.
The family filed a complaint with RCMP the next day and the Saskatchewan RCMP Criminal Operations has initiated an investigation into the incident.
In a statement to CTV News, the RCMP said, "We take complaints of this nature seriously, which is why the RCMP has also requested an independent observer from the Ministry of Corrections and Policing."
Asapace says he needed stitches on his lip and has received a CT scan to check for bleeding in his brain. He said the incident will stick with him long after the injuries heal.
"It changed my whole mindset about everything, it’s really bringing me down," he said. "The justice system, I don’t know why they treat us people like this, especially when we’re good people and I would cause no harm to no one.
"It really made me scared to call the cops, it really did… very traumatizing."
Twilla Asapace said she moved to the community in April and had no issues with RCMP until this night.
The Asapaces have reached out to a lawyer and are working on filing a complaint against the officers, who they allege wouldn’t provide their names or badge numbers.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Another suspect arrested in Toronto Pearson Airport gold heist: police
Police say another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Trump hush money trial: Play-by-play on Day 2 of Stormy Daniels testimony
Adult film star Stormy Daniels took the stand for a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump's hush money case continues in Manhattan.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Miss Teen USA steps down just days after Miss USA's resignation
Miss Teen USA resigned Wednesday, sending further shock waves through the pageant community just days after Miss USA said she would relinquish her crown.
Cyclist strikes child crossing the street to catch school bus in Montreal
A video circulating on social media of a young girl being hit by a bike has some calling for better safety and more caution when designing bike lanes in the city. The video shows a four-year-old girl crossing Jeanne-Mance Street in Montreal's Plateau neighbourhood to get on a school bus stopped on the opposite side of the street
B.C. wildfires likely to spread with weekend temperatures expected to soar, province says
Wildfire and emergency management officials in British Columbia are urging residents to be prepared for increased fire activity as temperatures are expected to soar above 30 C in parts of the province this weekend.
Wilfrid Laurier football player drafted despite only playing 27 games in his entire life
A Listowel, Ont. man, drafted by the Hamilton Tigercats last week, is also getting looks from the NFL, despite only playing 27 games of football in his life.