Internal review of Calgary officer guilty of assault winding down: chief

Calgary police officer Alex Dunn was found guilty of assault causing bodily harm after slamming a handcuffed woman in his custody face down to the ground. As Tara Overholt reports Calgary’s Police Chief believes the internal review into his actions is nearing an end.

CALGARY – The Calgary Police Service’s internal investigation into an officer who slammed a handcuffed woman face-first into the ground may be coming to an end soon.

Constable Alex Dunn was found guilty of assault causing bodily harm in December 2020.

There has been some criticism that the probe has taken too long, but Police Chief Mark Neufeld says these types of investigations are often delayed because they need to be put on hold during criminal investigations.

“And then, I think we dealt with some court scheduling issues and closures there as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, so I think that the case certainly took longer than anybody would have liked it to–including us,” he said.

“We want to make sure that we’re doing this appropriately, and that we’re making sure that we follow the law and establish processes so that we can actually move to the process in the way that we should, and get to the right outcome.”


RELATED: Groups call for firing of Calgary cop found guilty of assault


Despite being found guilty in a criminal court, Neufeld says Dunn still has a chance to dispute misconduct allegations in the internal investigation.

“The presiding officer will hear evidence and arguments and ultimately make a decision one as to whether or not misconduct is proven, and the second will be then what is the penalty to be for the misconduct, given all the evidence. So that’s the state we’re at right now,” he explained.

Dunn has been suspended without pay while CPS conducts an internal review of his conduct.

Surveillance footage of the 2017 arrest, which went viral, showed Dunn in an altercation with Dalia Kafi, who was already handcuffed when he slammed her onto the ground.

FULL VIDEO: Const. Alex Dunn is seen slamming a woman to the ground

(Warning: this video contains graphic material. Viewer discretion is advised.)

Kafi needed surgery for a broken nose and stitches in her lip.

Dunn testified during his trial he believed the takedown was necessary, but he did not mean to throw her face first.


READ MORE: Calgary police officer found guilty of assault in 2017 arrest


“There’s no doubt there’s a visceral reaction to watching this video,” defence laywer Cory Wilson said, following the verdict.

“He said, ‘I did not intend this judo throw. I tried to take her down in accordance with my CPS training. It didn’t work as I anticipated because of my mistaken belief that she wasn’t in handcuffs.’ And that, again, was unfortunately overlooked in my respectful opinion.”

The defense for Dunn argued he felt Kafi’s hand on his wrist and thought she had got out of her handcuffs, at which point he threw her down in a defensive move officers are trained to do.


READ MORE: Takedown was ‘textbook’ move, says defence in assault trial of Calgary police officer


Dunn’s takedown was a “textbook” execution and he was not in a situation where he or any officer could be gentle, according to the defence.

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