Calgary police say ASIRT unable to verify serious injury claims during U of C protest camp removal

Calgary police said ASIRT could not verify allegations of serious injuries during the removal of a pro-Palestinian protest camp last May at the University of Calgary and the police watchdog's investigation is now complete.

The police made the announcement late Tuesday afternoon in a release. On Wednesday morning, Calgary police said they were unable to provide more details about ASIRT's investigation as it was not their own.

In May, pro-Palestinian protesters set up an encampment at the University of Calgary campus, with a stated goal of pressuring the university to disclose and divest its financial ties with Israel. It followed similar demonstrations at other Canadian and U.S. campuses.

Calgary police officers forcibly cleared the protest encampment, which led to an ASIRT investigation of police actions.

Calgary police arrested five people under the Trespass to Premises Act in relation to the protest, three of whom were charged. All have since been released.

Police previously said there were no injuries to civilians or officers during the protest, but protesters disputed that claim.

On Tuesday, Calgary police said in a release that Chief Mark Neufeld was told by Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Services Mike Ellis that ASIRT's investigation is now complete and the matter no longer falls under the police watchdog's mandate.

All complaints related to the U of C protest will now fall under the mandate of the CPS professional standards section, according to Calgary police. When a CPS professional standards investigation finds an officer's actions to be of a serious nature, the case goes to a disciplinary hearing. Otherwise, the chief constable will determine what, if any, discipline is appropriate.

Eight complaints have been received by investigators so far, police said.

The U of C previously told CBC News the pro-Palestinian protest camp was removed based on sections of three university policy documents.

"Using the definition of 'serious' that is regularly employed by ASIRT when conducting investigations into harm caused by police, ASIRT has found that the allegation of 'serious' injuries cannot be verified," the Calgary Police Service said in Tuesday's statement.

According to CPS, police follow the province's guidelines on what constitutes a serious injury. A serious injury is presumed when the person injured is either admitted to a hospital or suffers severe trauma.

Police said situations where the victim receives out-patient or walk-in care or is treated and released from hospital do not qualify as a serious injury, except in the case of sexual assault allegations and gunshot wounds, which in all cases are presumed to be serious injuries.

Trauma in the context of a serious injury can be a broken bone, burns or abrasions to a major portion of the body, loss of a body part, paralysis of any part of th body, loss of vision or hearing, and/or injury to an internal organ.

Police said loss of consciousness brought about by a state of extreme mental distress, prolonged agitation and/or combative behaviour, which collectively may be classified as symptoms of a state of excited delirium, can also count as trauma.

CPS added ASIRT received the full cooperation of both Calgary and Edmonton police, including providing access to body worn camera footage where it existed and the forwarding of complaints.

Arthur Green, press secretary for Public Safety and Emergency Services, confirmed on Wednesday that ASIRT has completed its "limited scope investigation" and found none of the injuries incurred by protestors met the threshold of "serious injuries."

The University of Calgary said on Wednesday it won't comment on the investigation at this time.