COP USED EXCESSIVE FORCE: RULING

MONTREAL -- A police committee ruled officer Jeffrey Greetham was
wrong to have used excessive force in his arrest of a youth in a
Gatineau park for drug possession.

The officer and his colleagues were searching for the suspect in the
Le Fridolin restaurant robbery, who was described as having a shaved
head, in November 2004.

The officers went to the park where the suspect was nowhere in sight
but they noticed a bag of marijuana on the ground near four youths.

After a brief question period where a youth refused to identify
himself, Greetham grabbed the young man, threw him on the ground and
cuffed him. Greetham told the youth he was being arrested for
possession of drugs and obstruction of justice.

The youth's friend told the officer the young man had a brain tumour,
which was later confirmed.

The police committee president, Gilles Mignault, said it still wasn't
clear if Greetham hit the youth on the back of the head.

According to the youth's friend, he lost consciousness. Paramedics who
arrived at the park after the officers placed a call, said the youth
seemed alert.

When the officers checked if the youth had any drugs on him at the
station, nothing was found.

Greetham fined him for disturbing the peace, which the youth was later
acquitted of in a municipal court.

Mignault ruled that Greetham didn't have a reasonable motive for
stopping the youth.

He also said the youth withholding his identity did not justify an
arrest for an obstruction of justice.

"Greetham lacked clear judgement and has unacceptably ignored the
aplicable rules in such a situation. His erroneous actions deprived
the youth of his freedom, which is unacceptable," said Mignault

Greetham will be reprimanded in the coming weeks.