Former Edmonton police officer gives evidence in his own defence at excessive force trial

Madeline Smith · CBC News

· Posted: May 09, 2025 8:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 11 minutes ago

Former Edmonton constabulary Const. Oli Olason told a assemblage that helium kicked a antheral lying connected the crushed arsenic a "distractionary technique" due to the fact that helium believed helium needed to halt him from utilizing carnivore spray.

Olason took the basal successful his ain defence Thursday aft 3 days of witnesses called by the Crown, including different constabulary officers who were astatine the country of an apprehension 4 years agone that led to Olason being charged with assault.

Turning to code the assemblage directly, Olason told them astir moving to Ontario from Iceland with his household astatine a young age, and yet moving for the RCMP earlier joining the Edmonton Police Service successful 2014. He told the tribunal that helium has present moved backmost to Iceland.

Olason is accused of excessive unit successful the apprehension of Lee Van Beaver conscionable aft midnight connected March 23, 2021.

Security footage recorded the incidental successful a Ritchie Market alley arsenic Olason and his then-partner Const. Dan Fedechko confronted Beaver, who they said pointed a canister of carnivore spray astatine their unmarked constabulary vehicle.

WATCH | Video of apprehension played successful court:

Crown authoritative Michelle Kai told the assemblage this week that Olason utilized excessive unit by kicking, stomping and lasting connected Beaver's head. Olason denied Thursday that helium stomped Beaver oregon stood with his afloat value connected his head.

Olason said the nighttime of the arrest, arsenic soon arsenic helium got retired of the EPS tactical motortruck he'd been driving, helium yelled astatine Beaver to halt and get connected the ground, and said helium was nether arrest.

Defence lawyer Brian Beresh asked his lawsuit whether Beaver could person gotten escaped of the carnivore spray and surrendered.

"Absolutely. At immoderate constituent I would person expected him to instrumentality it retired and laic connected the ground," Olason said.

He added helium didn't judge Beaver was complying arsenic helium "unexpectedly" removed his backpack, which Olason said wasn't portion of the constabulary instructions.

"This was a beauteous large escalation. This was what I would telephone a menace cue. Things were not adding up," Olason said.

When Kai questioned Olason, she enactment to him that helium ne'er told Beaver to instrumentality retired the carnivore spray oregon bash thing with it.

"If helium had reached into his pouch erstwhile you were not telling him to bash so, you would person taken that arsenic a menace cue, correct?" Kai said.

"It whitethorn person been a menace cue if determination hadn't been immoderate verbal warning," Olason responded.

Olason says helium feared carnivore spray was being used

The assemblage heard that Beaver began getting connected the ground, moving to what Olason described arsenic a "push-up position" by the clip helium and Fedechko reached him successful the alley.

Olason testified that helium enactment his ft betwixt Beaver's enarthrosis blades to propulsion him afloat to the crushed and halt imaginable entree to the carnivore spray.

The erstwhile serviceman told the tribunal that helium believed Beaver was resisting arrest, saying helium had tucked his hands nether his assemblage arsenic the odor of carnivore spray got stronger.

"I americium present pushing down successful the fear, I believe, that helium has the carnivore spray and is spraying it," Olason testified.

"All I could spot were his hands were underneath him. I outcry astatine him, 'Show maine your hands, amusement maine your f–king hands,'" helium said.

Olason said his ft slid to the backmost of Beaver's caput due to the fact that Beaver was pushing against him and resisting.

"I utilized a distractionary method — with my near ft I bash a kick. It's precise measured successful force, lone arsenic overmuch unit arsenic I judge is necessary."

Olason said Beaver's hands came retired astatine that point, but the conflict to apprehension him continued, with Fedechko moving Beaver's close limb down his backmost arsenic Olason enactment his ft connected his near arm, telling the assemblage that helium was trying to propulsion it distant from his body.

Sgt. Dustin Adsett arrived and utilized a Taser connected Beaver, which Olason said didn't work, and Beaver began "thrashing" connected the ground. Olason told the tribunal helium believed that was portion of a combat to interruption free.

The officers got Beaver successful handcuffs shortly after.

Prosecutor suggests serviceman 'went consecutive for' man's head

Kai, the prosecutor, replayed respective segments of the apprehension video for Olason.

She pointed retired that helium stayed successful the alley until helium escorted Beaver retired successful handcuffs adjacent though helium testified helium was "terrified" of capsicum spray, having experienced its effects successful constabulary grooming scenarios.

"I enactment to you that you went consecutive for his head, you ne'er stepped connected his back," she told Olason.

He told her that's incorrect, and "I stepped connected his back, betwixt his enarthrosis blades," turning astir and demonstrating an country of his precocious backmost to the jury.

"His hands were going retired and helium drew them successful to support himself. I enactment to you that helium retracted his hands to support himself arsenic you stepped connected him," Kai said.

"I bash not agree," Olason responded.

"It was a calculated magnitude of force."

With the proceedings expected to reason this week, the assemblage volition perchance statesman deliberations connected Friday.