RCMP officer charged with assault after pinning man's neck in arrest at Winnipeg airport

WARNING: This story contains video and details that readers may find disturbing.

A ManitobaRCMP officer has been charged following a2019 arrest during which a Mountie pressed his knee on the neck of a man at Winnipeg's airport, while the man repeatedly cried"I can't breathe."

Manitoba'spolice watchdog said in a news release on Monday that there are reasonable grounds to believe a criminal offence occurred.

Const. Eric Gereinischarged with assault and ordered to appear in provincial court onSept.26.

Thearrestoutside the James Richardson International Airportwas captured on video by the father of NathanLasuik, the man who was pinned to the ground.

The footage shows an RCMP officer kneeling on Lasuik'sneckand placing the man's face against the ground. The officer does not appear to adjusthis knee, nor the pressure, despite repeated pleas from the man.

WATCH | Video of 2019 arrest (WARNING: this video may be disturbing to viewers):

RCMP detain man at Winnipeg airport (WARNING: video may be disturbing to viewers)

3 years ago

Duration 4:44

Manitoba RCMP detain a man who they say was intoxicated and combative outside the Winnipeg airport in 2019. Video of the arrest was played in court to argue that excessive force was used by RCMP against the man, who was detained and charged with several counts of assault.

Although the arrest happened onAug. 1, 2019, the RCMP did not notify theIndependent Investigation Unit ofManitoba about it until more than twoyears later, onAug. 11, 2021, after the video was entered as evidence during the arrested man's trial.

Jane MacLatchy, who was then commanding officer of the Manitoba RCMP, said the force learned about the events from a Winnipeg Free Press report on the trial, after which the RCMP reported the allegations to the IIU, whichinvestigates serious incidents involving police.

'Let me breathe'

At one point in the video recorded by Lasuik's father, the officer dismisses Lasuik's pleas because he could still speak.

"Let me breathe," Lasuikis heard saying early in the video.

"You're breathing. When you're talking, you're breathing," someone shouts back. It's not clear from the video which police officer is speaking.

A police officer can be heard tellinga bystander to step away,but she stands her ground.

"I'm just making sure that this person can breathe," the bystander says.

At the end of the video, a police officer approaches Lasuik's father to ask if he was recording.

"I have to seize the phone," the officer says, before the video ends.

RCMP were at the airport after receiving a report of an intoxicated man who assaulted a person and then struck an officer in the face without provocation, the force said in a news release last year.

When officers arrived at the airport, they tried to de-escalate the situation but Lasuik became combative and hit an officer, the news release said.

Lasuikwas put in handcuffs but kicked an officer in the groin beforeofficerspinned him to the ground, which is when the officer put his knee on the back of Lasiuk's neck, police said.

Lasuik was charged with several counts of assault and his case went to trial.

Lasuik later pleaded guilty to two assault charges and was found guilty of the third and was given a conditional discharge. He was placed under supervised probation for one year.

The IIU is not providing further details of the case against Gerein because the case is now before the courts, the news release said on Monday.

In a statement provided to CBC News, Lasuiksaid the charge laid against the officer was a "positive step" that would help with healing and his and his family'sability to move forward.

"We believe the true story needs to be heard of not only the knee on neck constraint but how hard it was to see levels of authority willing to protect their own, through not telling the truth under oath," he wrote.

He added hehoped the outcome also improvespublic trust in "the system" and leads to more police training.

"So they can speak up when they see wrongful acts by their [peers]and to not fear what outcomes may result."