Saskatoon police say teen spat on officer before violent cruise weekend arrest

The Saskatoon Police Service alleges its officers were assaulted on Saturday night during cruise weekend, but witnesses are telling a different story.

“Last night during cruise night a few drivers took it too far,” the police air support unit posted on X on Sunday morning, alongside images of the crowd on McCool Avenue, just off 8th Street East.

“When [the police airplane] spotted the activity and we took enforcement action, our officers were swarmed and assaulted. Everyone is ok but it was touch and go for a bit.”

But some car enthusiasts who witnessed the arrest felt the level of force from police was a bit excessive.

Siren Burton watched the event unfold, which she said was triggered when a teen did a burn out in the parking lot.

Burton says police moved in to arrest him and it escalated quickly.

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“He tried to push one of the cops off him cause the way he was holding him, and then another cop threw him to the ground and then they started beating him,” she told CTV News.

She said several officers drew their guns, and the boy was Tased several times.

Burton shared video of the arrest on Facebook, which has sparked a debate about the use of violence to enforce summary conviction offences.

“They had no reason to Taser the kid, let alone pull guns on him,” Burton said.

“A ticket at most would have been fine … stunt driving receives a $580 penalty, 30 day vehicle impoundment and seven day licence suspension.”

Another witness who spoke with CTV News disputed Burton's claim that police drew their guns on the teen, but she says she never saw police get attacked.

"No officers were assaulted that night," Taylor Dundas told CTV News, who said police used "an extreme amount of force" to apprehend the teen.

In a news release on Monday afternoon, police said officers charged two males, 17 and 22, with obstruction and assaulting a police officer following the Saturday night incident.

According to police, the tussle happened just after 11:30 p.m. as officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle spotted stunting by the police plane.

"While conducting the traffic stop, a large group of people began to surround officers. Several additional officers then responded to the area," police said.

"As officers were attempting to disperse the crowd, the male youth responded with assaultive behaviour and proceeded to spit on the constable. Also in the crowd, another male physically assaulted a separate officer by attempting to knock equipment out of the officer’s hand. That man attempted to flee the scene but officers were able to place him under arrest."

A spokesperson for the Saskatoon police told CTV News that all uses of force by police are reviewed by an internal committee, and said any member of the public who has concerns about police conduct can file a complaint with the Saskatchewan Public Complaints Commission.

The Saskatoon Police Service touted its "high-profile," full-court press of heavy weekend traffic enforcement in a subsequent news release on Monday.

According to police, a team of officers from Saskatoon, Regina and the Saskatchewan RCMP handed out over 80 tickets, over 70 warnings, four licence suspensions and made four arrests.

Two vehicles were impounded, police said.