Video shows police violently arrest man in Mississauga restaurant

A video obtained by CBC Toronto shows a violent arrest by Peel Regional Police in Mississauga on Monday in which a Black man appears to get knocked unconscious. 

It shows officers throw the man to the ground, and he is seen bleeding from his face as police handcuff him. An officer's knee is placed on his back at one point.

At least one witness said she believed the officers used excessive force. 

The man was taken to hospital after the arrest, which took place at a restaurant near Hurontario Street and Dundas Street E. at about 5 p.m., according to Const. Tyler Bell-Morena, spokesperson for Peel police.

Bell-Morena said the man suffered superficial cuts to his lip.

Ontario's Special Investigations Unit is not probing the arrest, he said, because the injuries did not meet the threshold for an investigation. The SIU has not yet responded to a request for comment.

The man who was arrested, Craig Dhu, 31, told CBC Toronto he did nothing to warrant it. He said he suffered a fat lip, a cut to his mouth and neck pain.

"There's nothing to hide — wrongfully assaulted, wrongfully accused," he said.

Dhu said he was eating a meal at the restaurant when officers came in. He said he was waiting for a friend and watching YouTube videos. He said he wasn't told why he was under arrest.

"These officers just came in and they didn't know what they were looking for. They didn't know anything. They know themselves, they can check their body cams," he said. 

"It's just funny. They treat us all Black people over there, or anywhere around this place, Cooksville, as we are targets. The moment you see somebody Black walking, they approach us in some very hostile ways."

Dhu said the officers didn't tell him why he was under arrest and they didn't address him by his name.

"He just came, and he just started grabbing me by my neck, for no reason," he said. "I was compliant. They hold onto my throat, trying to suffocate me. The point where I hit the ground, it just all went blank."

In the video, two officers can be seen on top of Dhu. At one point, he is able to get onto his feet only to be thrown back down onto the ground. Blood begins to pool on the floor under his face and he appears to be unconscious a short time later.