A surveillance videotape documenting the violent arrest of a man in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside on June 26 contradicts the police department’s media statement, a provincial civil liberties group says.

"There’s an issue with how the VPD is releasing information to the media," British Columbia Civil Liberties Association’s executive director David Eby said. "From our view of the video tape, it almost directly contradicts the version of events put forward by the VPD in the media release."

The B.C. Civil Liberties Association filed a formal policy complaint July 8 calling on the VPD to explain its press release about the Downtown Eastside arrest.

The police department’s June 28 media release stated that 47-year-old Sudanese refugee Ali Eltah Ishag "allegedly began to actively resist and fight." The release also stated, "the man continually tried to disarm one of the officers by trying to pull the officer’s gun out of its holster."

But a video of the incident released by local news source Megaphone Magazine July 8 calls into question the use of force exerted by arresting officers towards Eltah Ishag.

Megaphone vendor Ron Wickstrom witnessed the arrest on the morning of June 26 on East Hastings Street and alerted staff members of the event. Staff obtained video surveillance from a nearby building and concernedly posted the footage online.

"We were pretty shocked … especially considering what was written about Mr. Ishag in the press release which claimed that he had been the aggressor," Megaphone editor Sean Condon said of the video. "The police have a copy of this video yet it seems they’re still trying to make it look like Mr. Ishag had done something wrong."

Vancouver police spokesperson Constable Lindsey Houghton said the department was unable to comment on the released video due to legal matters. But he noted that Crown Council considered the video before charges were laid.

"That video was evidence that was presented to Crown Council and council decided based on the totality of the evidence, which included witnesses, that video and statements gathered that there was enough evidence to lay three fairly serious criminal charges against Mr. Ishag on the day of the offence," he said.

For David Eby, the VPD public relations department’s failure to accurately communicate the event to the media represents an enduring issue within the department.

"By our count, this is the fourth recent incident involving the police mistaking what happened to put things in the best possible light for the police," he said.

Eby also questioned the department’s use of force ability to properly deal with non-English speaking or mentally ill people.

Ali Eltah Ishag is currently in custody and charged with multiple offences including assaulting a peace officer with intent to resist arrest. The man is known to police and was wanted on outstanding warrants at the time of arrest.

Niamh Scallan is completing her practicum at The Tyee