Action taken by the police during a raid in Christiania on Tuesday has been reported to the independent police complaints authority, Den Uafhængige Politiklagemyndighed (DUP).
Video filmed during the raid appears to show a man being pepper-sprayed for no apparent reason.
The video (here in Danish), which was produced by local Christiania watchdog group Cadok, shows a man being arrested during the raid and then taken out of the Free State by five policemen in civilian clothes. While the man is being carried away, another officer runs up and appears to blast pepper-spray directly into the man’s face.
Jørn Balther, who lives in Christiania, witnessed the arrest of the man on Tuesday morning.
“He was thrown to the ground as if it were a rugby match,” Balther told TV2 News.
READ MORE: Police make several arrests in Christiania raid
Peppered while incapacitated
Balther talked to the man after his arrest and asked him what the cops had sprayed in his face.
“He said it was pepper-spray. He had no doubt,” he said.
Copenhagen Police has been made aware of the video and has chosen to refer it on to the independent police complaints authority to be examined.
“We confirm there was police action on Pusher Street in which pepper-spray was used and arrests were made,” said the police.
“It is difficult to assess exactly what is happening in the video, so we have referred the matter to DUP, which will determine whether there has been any criminal offence committed.”
