What to know
- A cyclist allegedly pushed off his moving bike by Toronto police on May 31 has been diagnosed with a concussion and other injuries, according to his lawyer.
- Lawyer David Shellnutt says the cyclist was not provided medical care by officers following the incident and was later taken to the ER by family members.
- Toronto police say the cyclist was arrested after allegedly ignoring a stop sign, refusing instructions to stop, and shouting at officers during a traffic enforcement operation.
- Cyclists are organizing an anti-cyclist violence rally at Little Norway Park, arguing the incident reflects broader concerns about police treatment of cyclists in Toronto.
A cyclist who was allegedly pushed off his moving bike by Toronto police officers last weekend has been diagnosed with a head injury after the incident, prompting an anti-cyclist violence rally.
Biking Lawyer David Shellnutt said in an email statement on Thursday that his office has been hired by the cyclist that was allegedly tackled by police on May 31, in an incident that went viral online, sparking discussions about excessive use of force by police.
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Cyclist suffered head injuries
According to Shellnutt, the cyclist has since been diagnosed with a concussion and referred to a head injury clinic, as his symptoms are still ongoing. He allegedly is also facing cuts, bruises, and soft tissue injuries, as well as “psychological trauma commonly associated with being assaulted by state actors.”
The lawyer also said police failed to provide medical care to the cyclist, sharing that his family took him to the ER after the incident.
“They should have seen the visible scrape on his forehead and provided him medical care, which he asked for. Our position is that they should have ensured he got medical attention especially given the possibility (later confirmed) of a head injury,” he wrote to Now Toronto in an email statement.
TPS responds
As video of the incident went viral, Toronto Police Service (TPS) made a comment on social media revealing details about the event, including that the cyclist was arrested after ignoring a stop sign and officers’ instructions to stop, as well as shouting a profanity at them.
Police also said the arrest happened as they were leading a stop sign enforcement procedure after multiple complaints from residents that cyclists were not obeying the sign.
In addition, TPS Chief Myron Demkiw released a video on social media saying that the force supports officers’ work enforcing traffic rules, without directly mentioning the incident.
“We’d like to ask everybody to ensure they obey the rules of the road, cooperate with our police officers who are out there each and every day doing very important work enforcing the rules of the road, and let’s make sure that everybody can share the roadways and their sidewalks safely this summer,” he said.
Now Toronto reached out to Toronto Police for further comments, but is still awaiting a response.
Riders hosting anti-cyclist violence rally
In light of the incident, Shellnutt said a group of cyclists will be getting together at Little Norway Park on Thursday at 6 p.m. to protest against anti-cyclist violence.
Shellnutt has previously called out police for the use of excessive force when it comes to enforcing rules of the road for cyclists, which he says reflects an “anti-cyclist sentiment” across the city.
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“This rally is being held because Toronto Police and their union, the [Toronto Police Association], have doubled down on their support of this violent take down of cyclists, when clearly it violates their use of force policies,” Shellnutt said.
“City Council and the Mayor have also not publicly raised concerns. Therefore, it’s up to us as a community to show in hopefully significant numbers that we will not stand for such abuses of power and anti-cyclist behaviour.”
