Man arrested on outdoor rink in Calgary speaks out

CALGARY (660 NEWS) – A man arrested at an outdoor rink in south Calgary spoke out over the weekend on social media.

Ocean Wiesblatt, a Manitoba Junior Hockey League player, was arrested on Thursday after police told him to get off the ice following a complaint that too many people were on the rink.

Wiesblatt refused to leave and officers threatened to taser him. The arrest was captured on video and eventually shared online.

Deputy Chief Ryan Ayliffe with Calgary police said officers have been put in an uncomfortable situation.

“Although this is one event, we are seeing our officers continually put in these almost untenable positions where they have to diffuse these situations or support bylaw in diffusing these situations.”

He added police will try to work with everyone but still need to enforce the public health measures.

“A place that we want to be as the police service is just one where we can have those conversations, work through these things and show that we will not tolerate people that don’t want to willfully comply.”

Meanwhile, in a Facebook post, Wiesblatt said he will be posting a video in the coming days to share more of what’s happened since the arrest.

He also added his fight is not over.

“I’m doing this for my freedom and yours,” the Facebook post reads. “The mask on your face that is enforced by government should be your choice to wear or not to wear not anyone else’s choice because it’s your life, body and health.”

Wiesblatt also asked people to not donate to GoFundMe pages that have been set up using his name as he never created those.

-With files from CityNews Calgary