A commissionaire contracted by the Calgary Police Service (CPS) has been charged with assault following an alleged altercation with a person who had been arrested.
Commissionaires are contracted by CPS to perform security duties at various CPS buildings, including APS.
CPS says on Saturday, May 4 just after midnight, an arrestee was being processed at the Arrest Processing Section (APS) on 85 Street NW, when an argument happened between that person and the commissionaire who was working.
Investigators say the argument escalated and it’s believed an assault happened. Neither the arrestee nor the commissionaire were hurt.
The service says commissionaires help officers process arrestees, however, they do not have the legal authority to use physical force while processing arrestees.
APS commissionaires at APS are supervised by police officers while at work, and if physical intervention is needed, they are trained to withdraw and let police handle the situation.
Officers looked at CCTV footage and conducted a thorough investigation, which led to charges being laid against the commissionaire on Wednesday.
Twenty-five-year-old Essayas Tekeste has been charge with one count of assault in connection to this incident.
CPS says he has been removed as a commissionaire with the service pending the outcome of the court case.
Tekeste is set to appear in court on June 19.
CPS says information about this incident is being released in the interest of public transparency.