WATCH: A violent incident in Nanaimo has a 14-year-old boy facing charges of assaulting a police officer and obstruction of justice after a fight quickly spun out of control as officers responded to stop it. It happened Monday outside a convenience store on Norwell Drive, just steps from Wellington Secondary and it was all caught on video.
Cellphone video captures the chaos as a Nanaimo RCMP officer is pulled into a fight between teenagers Monday.
“Hold her she’s under arrest for assault,” the officer is heard yelling to a bystander in the cellphone video.
You can also hear a man asking if the officer needs help.
“Police do you need help?” he asked. “Yeah,” the officer responded. “What can I do?” the bystander asks.
READ MORE: 14-year-old boy arrested during fight near Nanaimo school
The officer was the lone RCMP officer at the scene. He had been doing paperwork when he saw between 40 and 50 teenagers gathering in the parking lot of a convenience store on Norwell Drive, right next to Wellington Secondary School and realized a fight was starting. The officer tried to break up the fight, which was between two girls when he was suddenly under threat.
“So our member went it to try to break the two females up when for whatever reason a 14-year-old male jumped on our police officer and tried to stop him from breaking up the fight,” said Const. Gary O’Brien of Nanaimo RCMP.
“So our officer is now fighting with this 14-year-old male and he’s trying to break up the other fight and he’s surrounded by 40 or 50 other people. Thank goodness for him we had a number of members show up and broke up the crowd and arrested the 14 year old male or assaulting the police officer.”
The 14-year-old boy and the officer received cuts and bruises in the fight. The boy’s mother told CHEK News, that she believes the video shows the officer using unnecessary force against him.
RCMP stand by the officer’s actions.
“And our officers weigh into these situations not expecting to be jumped from behind,” said Const. O’Brien.
In the wake of the violent incident, RCMP are urging parents to talk to their kids about avoiding fights and the mob mentality that can turn things from bad to worse. The two teenage girls who started the fight have been released into the care of their parents. The 14-year-old boy is facing criminal charges of assaulting a police officer and obstruction of justice.
Skye Ryan
