MONTREAL - A Montreal lawyer who was knocked down by a police officer during Thursday's student protest in the downtown core says she's going to seek legal advice so the issue doesn't fade away.
Patricia Moore's ordeal was caught on camera by a student at the demonstration and was quickly made public.
Moore told CTV's Maya Johnson that she was on her way to buy groceries Thursday afternoon, and was crossing Sherbrooke street at Park Ave., when she was caught between a group of rowdy protesters and riot police.
The amateur video shows Moore leaning near an officer in full riot-gear, who then uses his shield to shove her down to the ground. She hit her head on a Canada Post mailbox as she fell.
"I didn't realize that I had banged my head until I saw the video," she says. "Somebody told me there was the event on the TV and I watched it on the 6 o'clock news."
She went to the hospital the day after the incident and was told by doctors to come back if she began displaying concussion symptoms.
Police are investigating
The Montreal police department launched an investigation after seeing the video online. It will not say if the officer in question has been suspended or relegated to desk duty.
However, a department spokesperson says people shouldn't jump to conclusions based on what they've seen in a 30 second video.
"Just before ending the protest, we made three warnings with a microphone," says Inspector Philippe Pichet. "After that, I've been told that the woman had been asked three times to go away. She didn't."
He says officers on the scene called paramedics and that Moore was treated on the scene, but refused to be hospitalized.
The department is also warning the public to find alternate routes should they see riot police blocking the street.
Not over yet
Moore has yet to contact Montreal police about the incident, and says she plans on seeking legal advice before proceeding.
"I am not going to let this go away. This is not going to go away. I am going to do something."
