Suspect violently assaulted during arrest near Alberta Legislature
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- Incident ID
- Incident Title
- Incident Date
- Incident Description
- Description Type
- Incident City
- Incident Neighbourhood
- Injuries Incurred
- Weapon used
- Type of Abuse
- Victim Gender
- Victim Race
- Authority Involved
- Officer Physical Description
- Officer Gender
- Complaint Filed
- Complaint Resolution
- Court Cases
- Court Documents
- Media Coverage
- Submission Source
- Confidentiality/Restrictions
- Archive Publication Date
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210,006
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Suspect violently assaulted during arrest near Alberta Legislature
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11 June 2019
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A violent arrest caught on camera in 2019 led to an assault charge being laid against EPS officer Dylan Awid. Police officers gave chase to a truck they identified as stolen on the evening of June 11, 2019, with an EPS helicopter tracking the vehicle to an apartment building parking lot near the Alberta Legislature building. Police vehicles converged on the scene and boxed the truck in after it rammed vehicles to the rear and front in an attempt to escape. When the truck came to a halt, one officer exited the passenger side of the nearest police SUV and approached the car. As the driver, Kyle Parkhurst, opened the door and climbed out of the vehicle, the officer kicked the door against him, then struck him in the head with his gun. Parkhurst then fell to the ground, at which point he was kicked and punched multiple times; police also confirmed that he was Tasered twice during the arrest. One officer, later identified as Constable Dylan Awid, kicked Parkhurst multiple times before pulling him to his feet while handcuffed and slamming his head into a brick wall. He struck Parkhurst in the head with his elbow, then while walking him towards the police cruiser, violently shoved him up against it. Security camera footage of the incident shows officers appearing to re-enact the violence of the arrest after Parkhurst has been placed in custody. Experts interviewed by CBC about the footage indicated that an officer who appeared to deliberately walk away from the scene once the assault began appeared to be a sergeant; none of the many officers at the scene appear to attempt to intervene.
Parkhurst's lawyer claims that after being taken into custody, his requests to see a doctor were denied and his injuries were never photographed, and asserts that his blood-soaked shirt was covered with a sweater when his mug shot photo was taken. EPS claims that Parkhurst was assessed by a parademic at the police station and his injuries were deemed minor. He stated that his mouth filled with blood for several hours after the incident, he suffered headaches and migranes several weeks after the incident, and had no memory of being thrown against the wall. He was not assessed by a doctor until two weeks later, when a lawyer acting for his grandmother filed a written complaint. In a subsequent legal filing Parkhurst stated he submitted dozens of written requests for medical treatment for severe headaches, numbness, and tingling in his legs and torso, as well as mental health issues, but was only seen by a doctor once. Some media reporting on the incident described it as "methamphetamine-fueled" but it is not clear when/whether Parkhurst was tested for substances.
EPS appears to have been reluctant to provide information to the media following the incident. They announced their Professional Standards Branch would investigate after bystander videos of the incident were released online, but did not disclose to the media that they were also initiating a criminal investigation, which was discovered by CBC News when they spoke to the provincial director of law enforcement, Bill Sweeney, about why EPS was permitted to internally investigate an alleged assault on a prisoner. The day after CBC ran the July 9 story about the internal investigation, it was handed over to ASIRT (the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team). Reporters were later able to ascertain that Constable Awid had been removed from active duty sometime after the incident. In October 2021, ASIRT determined that Awid should be charged for the violence that occurred after Parkhurst was handcuffed, and on October 7, 2021 he was charged with one count of assault. The charge against Awid was stayed on November 8, 2021; the Edmonton Journal reported "a spokesperson for Alberta’s Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General told Postmedia that Alberta Crown Prosecution Service’s (ACPS) standard for prosecution is higher than that of the police, and that it’s possible for a case to meet one standard, but fail to meet a more onerous standard at higher levels of the justice system. “In this case, an ACPS prosecutor reviewed the investigation and surrounding circumstances and concluded that the charges did not meet our standard for prosecution,” the statement said" (Edmonton Journal, November 16, 2021). No reason was given by the ministry or the Crown for why this decision was made. Parkhurst was originally charged with nine offences, eventually reduced to four to which he pled guilty - possession of stolen property over $5,000; dangerous operation of a motor vehicle; driving while disqualified; and breach of recognizance. In August 2021 Parkhurst filed a lawsuit against Awid and six other police officers including Police Chief Dale McFee, Alberta Health Services, and the Alberta government, for $100,000.
The Archive team will update this incident as the lawsuit proceeds and more information about the dropped charges becomes available.
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Non-eyewitness, based on documentation
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Edmonton
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Downtown
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Head trauma;
Nerve damage;
Mental injury
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Gun butt;
Taser;
Hands & Feet
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Physical violence
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Man
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White
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Edmonton Police Service
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Numerous officers involved; majority of violence perpetrated by bald man with light-coloured skin.
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Man
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Yes - Professional Standards Branch investigation & EPS criminal investigation handed to ASIRT in July 2019
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ASIRT laid assault charge against Constable Awid in October 2021; charge dropped November 2021.
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Assault charge filed Oct 7, 2021; stayed Nov 8, 2021
Civil lawsuit filed by victim August 2021
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Research team
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From published source
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17 November 2021
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