news: Victim wants answers after arrest

Editorial Note: At the request of the victim’s family, Connor Earl Productions has agreed to withhold the identity of the victim and will refer to him as the ‘victim’ in the story.

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Update:

Members of the Orillia Detachment of the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have charged a person with public intoxication and resisting arrest after being called to a local bar.

On September 9, 2023, shortly before 3:00am members of the Orillia Detachment were called to an establishment on Mississauga Street East in the City of Orillia by a patron at that location.

During the investigation and after repeated attempts by officers to peacefully resolve the situation, the person who initially called the OPP was arrested for public intoxication and to prevent a further breach of the peace. Michael FOUCAULT 33-years-old from Toronto has been charged with: Public Intoxication, Resist Arrest, Assaulting Police Officer with Intent to Resist Arrest – two counts. The accused is scheduled to appear before the Ontario Court of Justice in Orillia on October 24, 2023.

The OPP is aware that a privately recorded video of an incident was made available to the public through social media. This incident is an example of calls our officers respond to when individuals resist arrest. This video captures only a portion of the event and shows the responding officer selecting the most appropriate use of force option to address the immediate situation, exposing the subject, public and officer to the lowest level of risk.

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Original Story:

ORILLIA, ON – A shocking and disturbing situation that was all caught on a cell phone has left one man with injuries, but more so, wanting answers.

In the early morning hours of September 9th, the victim, who was in Orillia for a family stag and doe celebration, was catching up with some of his friends at a local restaurant downtown Orillia, when a passerby started yelling homophobic slurs for no reason.

“The homophobic comments had left me feeling vulnerable and unsafe, prompting me to reach out to the Orillia police for assistance,” said the victim, in an exclusive interview.

The victim then proceeded to dial 911 for police assistance.

Shortly after the call was placed, officers from the Orillia OPP Detachment responded to the call just outside The Study Hall Pub located on Mississauga St.

“As the police arrived, I expected relief and protection, but instead I was met with indifference and hostility,” said the victim. “Astonishingly, the officers decided to arrest me on the grounds of public intoxication completely disregarding my plea for support and ignoring the fact that I had initiated the call for help.”

This is when multiple bystanders started recording the incident on their cell phones against threats of arrest by other officers at the scene.

The videos were later posted to social media.

The three video clips of the incident, show the victim on the ground screaming and yelling for help, all while members of the Ontario Provincial Police can be seen punching, physically assaulting him, and using a less-lethal weapon known as a taser multiple times on the victim.

“I endured not only multiple taser shocks but also physical assault and verbal taunts from the very officers who were meant to protect me,” stated the victim in an exclusive interview.

The victim’s ‘nightmarish event’ didn’t stop there. The officers at the scene continued their ‘mistreatment’ as the victim was brought to an awaiting OPP cruiser and subsequently physically forced inside the back.

The victim went on to say that the event didn’t stop at the Mississauga St. scene.

“Back at the station, I was subjected to uncomfortable conditions in a cell. I desperately pleaded for medical attention, only to have my requests callously denied,” added the victim.

In the end, the ordeal resulted in significant head injuries and bleeding, exacerbated by an incident where an officer violently slapped the cell door flap onto the victims’ hands, causing further injury.

The injuries sustained by the victim have been deemed non-life threatening, but the victim now wants answers as to why all this took place, even after the original 911 call placed wasn’t about him, and why he was the subject of this ‘haunting experience’ by officers.

As family members and the public posted the situation and the videos to social media, many people in surprise and shock took to social media to voice their outrage.

“I had to stop watching this … this is disgusting!!!” wrote Steph Parker in a Facebook comment.

Her comment was echoed by hundreds of other posts and comments who all gave their sympathies for what the victim had to go through and to call justice for the officers.

“All officers involved should be charged and fired,” wrote another comment.

“The whole situation was supposed to be a simple one of showing up, possibly talking to the complainant about the original incident, and possibly talking to the person who made the homophobic slurs, but that original and more serious situation went on like nothing happened,” heard another comment.

In the aftermath of the event, the victim is grateful to still be alive and couldn’t confirm whether he would file charges against the officers who attended the scene.

“This haunting experience underscores the pressing need for accountability and form within our law enforcement,” the victim ended the interview.

The Ontario Provincial Police had no comment on the situation in time for publication.

This report by Connor Earl Productions was published September 10, 2023.

Connor Earl Productions. All rights reserved.