A Calgary police officer has been convicted of violently assaulting a handcuffed woman in the force’s arrest processing centre..On Thursday, provincial court Judge Michelle Christopher found Const. Alex Dunn, 34, guilty of assault causing bodily harm after the 2017 arrest of Dalia Kafi, for breaching a court-ordered curfew. .CCTV video shows Dunn slamming Kafi face-first, while handcuffed, on the cement floor. She needed surgery to correct facial damage..The officer had tried to remove the woman’s head covering. Dunn testified he was worried Kafi had slipped out of the handcuffs. He testified he didn’t mean to throw her down face-first..During the trial, one 30-year veteran of the force called it the “worst use of force” he’d ever seen..A date for a sentencing hearing will be set next week. Dunn has vowed to appeal..Now the criminal charges have been dealt with, CPS can hold an internal hearing on the matter.. Mossleigh pub briefly opens before authorities move in .Dunn is also under an internal investigation after CBC broadcast a photo of him in blackface at a 2012 Halloween party..He has been moved into a desk job..The video of the incident, released to the media by the judge, has now been shown around the world – even being picked up by TMZ and the New York Daily News. Millions of people have watched it..Coun. Jyoti Gondek, who wrapped up a three-year term on the Calgary Police Commission, said after the video was made public changes need to be made to the police act to enable the force to immediately fire officers for gross misconduct..“The recently released footage of Constable Dunn with Ms. (Dalia ) Kafi was horrifying & painful to watch. While I appreciate the CPS explanation of why Dunn was not removed from the service immediately, the public is not asking for a technical response,” Gondek said in a series of tweets..“The public is not interested in hearing about the limitations CPS faces or the inability to take disciplinary action while the case is before the courts. We want to know what leadership will do to ensure it can never happen again..“I implore both the CPS & Calgary Police Commission to issue a clear statement about how the service will ensure that unethical use of force will be dealt with swiftly & justly. Make a statement that shows you understand the gravity of the issue,” said Gondek..“Calgarians need to hear from CPS leadership that they understand unethical service members are not just “bad apples”. These are officers who hold power & have no desire to follow either the rules of the CPS or civil society..“It is not enough to say that cases which are now coming into the public eye happened before the current CPS executive team came into their roles. How are you making sure policies & practices have changed?”. Councillor calls on Calgary officer to go – immediatelyVideo courtesy CBC .Dave Naylor is the News Editor of the Western Standard.dnaylor@westernstandardonline.com.TWITTER: Twitter.com/nobby7694
