An Indo-Canadian Sikh officer with the Vancouver police department has been held guilty for punching a cyclist in the face, a media report said
Ottawa: An Indo-Canadian Sikh officer with the Vancouver police department has been held guilty for punching a cyclist in the face, a media report said.
An investigation was launched into Ismail Bhabha's conduct after a YouTube video surfaced of the officer striking a man he was attempting to handcuff in March 2013, The Link newspaper reported on Wednesday.
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Bhabha said he was trying to arrest the cyclist because he ran a red light two years ago in Yaletown and was not wearing a helmet.
Last year during trial, the cyclist, Andishae Akhavan-Kharazi said it was 'bullshit' that officers were giving him a ticket, the report said.
The cyclist testified that when his arm was twisted behind his back, he turned his head and was punched, leaving him with a chipped tooth, a cut lip and injuries to his neck and jaw.
A bystander filmed the confrontation and the footage sparked outrage on YouTube.
In the video, the cyclist was seen asking Bhabha, "Why did you punch me?" to which Bhabha replied, "Because you was resisting. I was trying to put my cuffs on you and you pulled your arm away."
The officers arrested Bhabha for his misconduct. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for November.
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