On Sunday, the independent Abbotsford police — brought in to conduct a criminal investigation into the incident — said their officers are recommending RCMP Const. Geoff Mantler be charged with one count of assault causing bodily harm.
Abbotsford police say investigators are in the process of submitting a written report to Crown counsel.
The incident made national headlines when a video, shot by a bystander across the street, was released.
The video shows Buddy Tavares getting out of his truck with his hands in the air. Two officers have their guns drawn and one kicks the man in the face as he is getting on the ground.
Tavares, 51, is charged with careless use of a firearm. He was stopped after shots were fired at a Kelowna-area golf course.
Tavares is on leave from his job at the golf course while recovering from a brain injury suffered in a recent motorcycle crash.
Tavares said his employer had asked him to use a shotgun to scare geese off the greens.
When Tavares was released from custody, he had a black eye and several scrapes on his face.
Mantler was suspended with pay pending the investigation.
Meanwhile, two New Democrat MPs — public safety critic Don Davies and Skeena-Bulkley Valley MP Nathan Cullen — issued a statement Sunday saying the violent arrest highlights the need for "serious reform and stronger oversight of Canada's national police force."
"When police violence against a compliant and non-violent citizen occurs, the public needs to know that strong and swift action will be taken," Davies said in the statement.
"Until RCMP oversight is strengthened, public confidence in the RCMP will continue to erode."
Cullen said it's clear some action must be taken.
"The incident in Kelowna should be a wake-up call to the government that they have dragged their feet for too long on RCMP reform," he said. "The government has known for years that the system is broken, but even their own meagre reform bill is stalled in Parliament because they refuse to bring it forward for debate."
"If the Conservatives are serious about RCMP reform, they cannot let this latest incident go unanswered," Cullen said. "They should fast-track real legislation on RCMP oversight as soon as Parliament resumes, and restore Canadians' confidence in our national police force."
7:20
An amazing coincidence that Supt. Bill McKinnon finally decides, a week after
the vicious assault, after a week of public outcry, Immediately before a
demonstration was about to start, On a Sunday, that charges were "recommended".
Meanwhile, Buddy Travers had his face smashed in by Constable Geoff Mantler and
was held in jail an entire weekend before being released on charges.
Also a coincidence is the incredible number of posts the CBC moderator is
rejecting.
www.OttawaMensCentre.com
6:56
An amazing coincidence that Supt. Bill McKinnon finally decides, a week after
the vicious assault, after a week of public outcry, Immediately before a
demonstration was about to start, On a Sunday, that charges were "recommended".
Meanwhile, Buddy Travers had his face smashed in by Constable Geoff Mantler and
was held in jail an entire weekend before being released on charges.
Instead of telling us about how charges have been "recommended" would Supt. Bill
McKinnon like to explain to us why it is that the charges against Buddy Travers
were not dropped, and why Constable Geoff Mantler was not arrested and remanded
in jail pending a bail hearing.
An amazing coincidence that Supt. Bill McKinnon finally decides, a week after
the vicious assault, after a week of public outcry, Immediately before a
demonstration was about to start, On a Sunday, that charges were "recommended".
Meanwhile, Buddy Travers had his face smashed in by Constable Geoff Mantler and
was held in jail an entire weekend before being released on charges.
Instead of telling us about how charges have been "recommended" would Supt. Bill
McKinnon like to explain to us why it is that the charges against Buddy Travers
were not dropped, and why Constable Geoff Mantler was not arrested and remanded
in jail pending a bail hearing.
I can think of some very good reasons why bail conditions are necessary.
Firstly, Geoff Mantler thought he had absolute power, he thought he could commit
a criminal offense because he was a cop. If he thinks like that, and has a Supt.
Bill McKinnon who fails to do almost anything for a week, Constable Geoff
Mantler and ever other police officer in the country can think they can do the
same thing and get away with it.
Geoff Mantler did a very obvious kick to the head.
Supt Bill McKinnon has been doing anything but justice for the last week and its
his lack of action, that begs for his head to roll not to mention Geoff Mantler
and most of Canada who would like to see him dealt with, appropriately, and
thats being polite.
www.OttawaMensCentre.com
We need to remember that the police attempted to justify this very violent
assault by a police officer with a Fabricated, completely false claim that they
were responding to a domestic violence situation.
May be its time for the Kelowna RCMP and in particular, Constable Geoff Mantler
to come under a review of all the cases that they have been involved in over the
last few years.
Its entirely remote that Constable Geoff Manlter has not engaged in similar
violent abusive behaviour previously.
I'm betting that more complaints will surface.
www.OttawaMensCentre.com
The officer who did nothing and the officer in charge who processed the
charges against Buddy and kept him in the can for the weekend to make the
officer who did the kicking, look good also are equally guilty of obstructing
justice.
www.OttawaMensCentre.com
1:17 pm
Supt Bill McKinnon at a pres conference after admitting that "moral was down"
(read feeling sorry for themselves)
"But I want to say our members do incredible work. However, sometimes, errors
are made"
So, when Constable Geoff Mantler kicks a civilian in the head for no reason, and
the force hold the victim in jail, charge the victim, hold the victim in jail,
while the criminal cop, Constable Geoff Mantler goes home?
That's incredible.
And then the "kick to the head", without arresting Constable Mantler, is somehow
just "an error"?
You would think that the Supt. Bill McKinnon would have learned something about
accepting responsibility and demonstrating leadership by example.
Calling a violent assault by a cop, "an error" and or "incredible work" is just
an example of how sick the RCMP is from the bottom to the top.
www.OttawaMensCentre.com
Constable Geoff Mantler is just one example of a public officer with a fiduciary
and legal responsibilities to act impartially and objectively, to administer the
law who abused that position of absolute power.
Canada is a corrupt society full of public officials who abuse their power , the
more power , the more its abused.
Canada needs a real police for the police, a real police watchdog.
Note that Police have mandatory arrests in Domestic Violence, however, if a Cop,
kicks a civilian in the head, and its video taped, becomes a national disgrace,
they still keep the victim in jail for a weekend, defame him as Domestic
violence" when none took place.
Wait till it gets to court. Our judiciary are riddled with abusers , psychopaths
who become judges and use their absolute power to abuse absolutely.
Canada needs many changes before it can lay claim to being a society with the
Rule of Law, equity, justice, and democracy.
www.OttawaMensCentre.com