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Toronto cop faces assault charge for G20 arrest

The violent arrest of a G20 protester that was caught on video and caused controversy when no officers were initially held responsible has resulted in a criminal charge.

TORONTO — The violent arrest of a G20 protester that was caught on video and caused controversy when no officers were initially held responsible has resulted in a criminal charge.

Toronto police Const. Babak Andalib-Goortani was charged Tuesday with assault with a weapon in the takedown of Adam Nobody at the Ontario legislature during the June summit.

A video of the arrest, filmed by a videographer and viewed by tens of thousands of people since it was posted on YouTube, shows people running from a line of police in riot gear and at least five officers chasing Nobody.

He is swarmed and at least one officer can be seen making a punching motion. Nobody was treated in hospital for a fracture below his right eye.

The SIU originally concluded there appeared to be an excessive use of force, but that it was impossible to tell the identify of the officer.

Two officers were designated as subject officers during the investigation, but they would not agree to be interviewed, which they have the right to refuse.

The SUI reopened its investigation after Toronto Police Chief Bill Blair suggested in a radio interview that the police were arresting a violent armed offender, and that a segment depicting the use of a weapon had been removed from the tape.

Blair apologized a few days later, saying there was no evidence there was any “intent to mislead” with the video.

During its new investigation the SIU received two more videos of Nobody’s arrest and the Toronto police gave the agency names of 15 officers who might have been in the vicinity or involved in the arrest.

Andalib-Goortani is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 24 to face the assault with a weapon charge.