Police Officer Slams Handcuffed Detainee on Her Face

On Monday, a video was presented in court that showed a woman being thrown to the ground by a Calgary police officer at the arrest processing unit. Constable Alexander Dunn was seen in the video throwing Dalia Kafi to the ground, which the Crown argued was criminal behavior. A senior officer also commented that it was the worst use of force before the comment was struck after a defense objection. Kafi testified that she was arrested by Dunn on charges of breaching release conditions of a curfew and no alcohol.

During the arrest, Dunn ordered Kafi to stand for a photograph and tried to remove the headband she was wearing. Kafi, who had been to arrest processing in the past, insisted on having a female officer remove the headband as she was handcuffed behind her back. She stated that when she was thrown to the floor, she lost consciousness and came to as other officers arrived to assist her. The video showed Dunn waving Kafi towards the area where the suspects are photographed, trying to grab for Kafi's headwear, and then struggling with her. Kafi was eventually thrown to the floor, hitting her head violently on the ground.

The woman's mother cried out in the gallery before leaving the courtroom as Kafi was lifted to her feet. The video showed a pool of blood where Kafi had fallen, and it was revealed that she had a cut lip and a broken nose that required surgery. Dunn has been charged with assault causing bodily harm, and although he was initially put on administrative leave, he has since been reinstated to administrative duties. Staff Sergeant Gordon MacDonald testified that he saw Dunn deal with Kafi that morning and that it was the worst use of force he had seen. However, the defense objected to his comment, and the judge sustained it.