Police excessive use of force

The year was 2013 and I was a Social Work student at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, On. I was also working as a personal support worker for a local homecare company Bayshore.

Winter was in full swing and it was probably around February when I first began to feel ill. I attended the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre when I noticed I was burning up and was short of breath. They sent me home after doing some lab work. Days later, with an even higher fever I returned so sick this time I was put in the ICU and even had a spinal tap performed.

I remember how scared I was when they were about to begin the spinal tap procedure. I was thousands of miles away from my family who was living in Alberta. Having been on my own since 18 I toughed it out. I remember feeling like I was gonna die in that quarantine room.

I spent the night in ICU and come morning time I was once again told to leave the hospital and get some rest. Not once was I told her avoid school or work so I continue working and unknown to me at the time I had actually contracted mononucleosis a condition that causes the spleen to swell.

Having been so ill I was staying I had an old friends of mine who was kind of looking after me. At this point I had stopped working and attending classes. I remember waking up unable to breathe literally could not find my breath. I had my phone beside me so I called 911 and manage to whisper the location of the house I was staying at.

Firefighters arrived on scene and treated me with oxygen. I was then taken by paramedics to the hospital. The hospital at this point have seen me several times in the past couple weeks and was eager to have me out the door. The doctor told me there was nothing wrong with me other than the fact that I was likely a drug user suffering withdrawl.

I remember being in so much pain that I was asking for medication to help. I also had blood work done that day and if only the doctor had looked he would’ve seen that I tested positive for mono if not I’m just this visit but on the prior visits as well. The ignorant doctor continue to scold me and ordered me to leave the hospital and even called security. I was literally unable to walk at this point and beginning to feel a little terrified.

Next thing I knew police were on scene grabbing me by the arms forcefully trying to make me get up when I literally could not find the strength to carry my own weight. They drag me about the hospital letting me fall over and over again until finally I Fell face first into the concrete entranceway of the emergency department where the police said just finished parading me through.

I’ll never forget the look on the female officers face she just kept smiling as if her male partner it was doing something funny throwing me about dragging me by my handcuffs. They kept talking about where they were going to take me until they realize that I was in fact a university student somehow I found the strength to get a few words out describing that I was a social work student at Lakehead, which the female officer heard And then communicated to my assaulter.

I remember being so relieved when they pulled into the university parking lot and open the car door for me to get out. They watched as I crawled probably about 30 or 40 feet through slush and snow where I finally reached the Avila building where my my dorm room was located. I didn’t go back to my friends place because the police had convinced him that I was the problem and that there was nothing physically wrong with me.

I called another friend who help me well basically carry me to my second-floor room where I lay unconscious for the next seven days or so. I woke up my mouth was literally glued shut and sandpaper dry. I had no strength and was in so much pain. My stomach was showing signs of severe bloating and an obvious balls was noticeable just below my heart roughly where my spleen would be. Unknown to me at the time my insides were filling with blood.

I called my family who knew right away something was wrong and book the flight for me that same day For I could not return to the hospital for treatment as I had been trespassed and issued a ticket. Safe at my mom and dads home in Bonnyville Alberta I once again attended hospital call where the doctor performed in ultrasound and told me that my insides were filling with blood and I needed to be rushed to hospital immediately and that my life was in fact in danger. That feeling was so surreal having just woke up from a seven day long coma Where I can attest personally that I felt the calm of death And was given an opportunity to return to my body. It was really hard to do that though and I still remember the feeling of such peacefulness I feeling no drug on earth could provide. It is this that gives me comfort today knowing that somethings better than less corruption filled world awaits us in the end.

I was rushed to green owns hospital where I recovered on a surgical ward where are they determined it had been so long since my splenic laceration occurred that surgery was no longer need it as my spleen had to heal itself.

I always tell friends and family do it the freaking police say even if it hurts because they will not hesitate to use brutal if not lethal force. My experience highlights that this trend is not one that affects only people of colour rather that police feel and behave as though they are above the law. I would say many police officers have a power complex where they love that feeling of control and power over another persons life. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about this incident, the same incident which caused me to now suffer from PTSD and every day I have flashbacks and anytime I see a cop I almost faint. Recently I had to talk to a police officer and could barely utter a word for my stutter was so bad. I did complain about the officer in the doctor to the Ontario regulatory bodies however their investigation which seems sincere was nothing more done another example of just how corrupt the justice system can be. The doctors negligence was never officially questioned as the appeal process was so complex and being weak and still recovering I did not have the energy to pursue it and chose my mental health over revenge knowing that one day the doctor whose negligence led to a police officer nearly killing me will both meet their maker and when they do I hope that you will know just how wrong they were.