A man shot in the arm and bitten by a police dog says RCMP used excessive force against him.
Mark Kevin Koch, 27, said Tuesday that police had no right to shoot at him twice, then unleash a police dog on him after he had surrendered and was face down in a field.
In an interview at the Red Deer Remand Centre, Koch said he was “totally shocked” when he was shot through the right forearm in the early afternoon of June 2.
“I didn’t have a weapon or anything. I don’t know why they used that amount of force.”
“I think they may have been mad,” he said.
The Grande Prairie native said he wants to sue the RCMP. Koch was scheduled to appear in Red Deer provincial court today on several charges involving two separate police pursuits on June 2. He said after his vehicle became stuck in a field west of Blackfalds, he climbed out to surrender.
Koch said he was shot at twice by police from a distance of about five metres. One shot passed through his arm and the other missed.
“I wasn’t resisting or anything. I didn’t have any weapons except my hands.
“I then put my arms up and was told to get face down on the ground.
“I was handcuffed, then the dog started biting my leg,” Koch said.
He said the dog biting and police kicking ended when passersby showed up, including a newspaper photographer.
He said three officers were present when he became stuck. Koch said he didn’t see himself as posing a threat to three armed officers and the dog.
Forty-five staples were needed to close the left leg wounds while an operation was necessary to clean out bone fragments from the bullet wound. He was hospitalized for five days.
Koch said he now has nightmares in which the police are shooting him again. He faces charges of dangerous driving, failing to stop a vehicle to evade police and possession of two counts of possession of stolen property. Koch also faces similar charges stemming from incidents in the Ponoka area. He appeared in Wetaskiwin provincial court last week and reserved his plea on them.
RCMP laid charges against a man following a lengthy chase that resulted in at least two separate pursuits in the Red Deer, Ponoka and Blackfalds area. The chase ended in a field near Blackfalds.
Police said earlier they pursued a stolen truck in which the driver had crashed into the back of a marked police cruiser. The pickup was reported stolen near Red Deer early on June 2.
Police are now conducting a review of the incident because of the shooting. RCMP said earlier a car can be as threatening as a gun.
Const. Al Fraser of Edmonton RCMP K Division said earlier he couldn’t yet release a full explanation as to what happened during the shooting. Fraser noted a review of the incident won’t be completed for several weeks. He said it takes time to review all the notes and statements, and police can only go so far when there’s a court action pending.
“When it comes to a threat, a car can also be a threat to a police officer. Someone doesn’t have to be wielding a gun, a knife, or a club,” Fraser said earlier.
A policy review is routinely done by the RCMP whenever an officer discharges a gun at a suspect.
RCMP K Division spokesman did not return calls Tuesday.
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