Woman who livestreamed her own arrest on TikTok wants to take Kamloops Mounties to court – Kamloops News

A woman who livestreamed her arrest at a Kamloops car dealership two years ago is now taking Mounties to court, claiming she was “brutalized” by police during the ordeal.

22-year-old Maria Alejandra Sanchez Livestream on TikTok while sitting inside a Kamloops Ford Lincoln showroom on November 2, 2022, when the police arrived and took him to jail.

Sanchez tagged Kamloops Ford Lincoln in a viral TikTok post a few days ago in which he claimed he was denied service when he tried to purchase a pickup truck. The video implied that Sanchez was a victim of discrimination.

In that case, police told Castanet They were called to the Halston Avenue dealership around 5:30 p.m. on a report of a woman refusing to leave and sending “threatening messages” on social media.

Police said officers arrested the woman for trespassing and she claimed she resisted arrest and assaulted an officer.

In the TikTok video, Sanchez can be heard saying, “I’m not resisting,” before running out of frame and screaming.

Mounties said charging recommendations were awaited, but no charges were filed.

‘They were thrown to the ground and subjected to violence’

Sanchez filed a civil action petition in the BC Supreme Court last week naming the Kamloops RCMP and three unnamed officers as defendants.

The claim says he was 20 at the time of the incident, attended UBC Okanagan and lived in an abusive environment.

He claims he paid $1,000 down on a vehicle but was denied the sale.

Sanchez allegedly received legal threats from Kamloops Ford Lincoln after posting the first video on TikTok, but no one refunded him the $1,000.

After visiting the dealership and saying he wanted to speak to a manager, he said he was asked to sit and wait. The police allegedly arrived a few minutes later.

“Plaintiff was arrested, thrown to the ground, brutalized, denied an inhaler for his asthma resulting from a panic attack, and filmed/livestreamed as this occurred by Kamloops Ford employees,” Sanchez’s claim reads.

Sanchez said he was transferred from the prison to Royal Inland Hospital, where he received weeks of treatment for mental and physical injuries he suffered during the arrest and detention.

The dollar amount was not specified, but Sanchez is seeking damages for pain and suffering, substantial damages for lost business and punitive damages for “libelous and defamatory” online posts.

None of the allegations in the indictment could be proven in court.

Defendants will have three weeks to respond after being notified.