Terrace, BC- A Terrace man who alleges he  suffered permanent brain damage after he was slammed to the floor in a holding cell in that city has amended his claim in his suit against an RCMP officer .

Robert Wright was arrested and placed in custody , after his wife had called police, fearing he would drive while drinking.

In a video obtained by CBC, RCMP officer constable Brian Heideman is shown throwing Wright to the ground following which, a patch of blood surfaces .

Wright had apparently been combative when he was first arrested , ambulance reports say he was angry when he was being arrested. Crown reviewed  the action  and no charges were laid.

This week in an amended statement of claim the action accuses Constable Heideman, who has since transferred to Vernon, of steroid use . Heideman was docked eight days pay after being censored for using steroids. He has been cleared in other complaints,  and inquires, including an incident in Edmonton, that involved a high speed chase that resulted in the death of two teenagers.

Wright has previously been convicted of drunk driving .

Josh Paterson, executive director of the BC Civil Liberties Association, reacted to the video: “This is shocking. It appears on the video that this brutal takedown was an excessive use of force. Mr. Wright was kneeling on a bench, cuffed, and posing no apparent threat at the time that a constable smashed him to the floor, breaking his head open and leaving a pool of blood. Rob’s trip to the cells was life sentence to a permanent and debilitating brain injury. We hope that the family’s lawsuit will get to the bottom of why this happened, and that it will bring some measure of justice to the Wright-Prisk family.”

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, President of the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, added: “Two years ago I said I couldn’t imagine a scenario that would justify the cruel use of force against Robert Wright, who was kneeling, cuffed, and surrounded by police. In video, it appears that there was no justification. He was viciously and inhumanely assaulted. When will the violence against Indigenous people stop in this province?