An investigation is underway into the arrest of a woman who suffered spasms after being brutally pulled from her vehicle in Salluit on Thursday. The incident was filmed and made the rounds on social media.
The Nunavik Police Service confirmed Friday that it had opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding an arrest that occurred early the previous evening in Salluit.
A video of the incident that has gone viral online shows a police officer pointing what appears to be a gun at the driver of a vehicle that crashed into a residence.
The same officer then puts his head through an open window of the vehicle to pull out the driver, whom he drops to the ground.
Lying face down on the ground, the woman suddenly experiences spasms as another policewoman handcuffs her hands.
Unable to get up, she was dragged through the dirt for several metres, to a police car parked nearby.
The Nunavik Police Service did not respond to whether the officers involved had been met at this point. “The investigation into this matter is ongoing,” it simply stated by email.
The response was “resulting from a call from a concerned resident reporting a 24-year-old woman suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol,” said Deputy Director of Administration Shaun Longstreet.
“Officers responded immediately to the call and, upon locating the vehicle, determined that the driver was driving erratically and dangerously and was attempting to evade police.”
“The situation was quickly brought under control when officers managed to intercept the vehicle. The suspect was arrested without further incident or injury,” he continued.
A second video circulating on social media does indeed appear to show the police chase preceding the arrest.
It shows a police car suddenly accelerating to position itself in front of the fleeing vehicle, before braking.
The driver underwent a medical evaluation following her arrest, Longstreet said. She is currently in custody and was scheduled to appear in court Friday afternoon.