KITCHENER -- The Police Services Board is discussing two external reviews into a violent arrest last summer.

Bystanders captured video of the incident as it unfolded in a gas station parking lot in Kitchener in July 2020.

The person arrested was later identified as a Black Somali man with mental health concerns.

One of the reviews was a use of force analysis done by a retired police inspector from Calgary. The other was an external, criminal investigation done by the Peel Regional Police Service.

Both reviews said that officers were justified in their actions that day.

The Crown Attorney later told the court that police officers punched, kicked and used a Taser because the man was resisting arrest and officers thought he was reaching for a weapon.

Police believed that the man had shot at them during an earlier encounter at the Victoria Hills Community Centre. The sound was later determine to be fireworks.

Both reviews found that officers were justified in using force because they believed there was a weapon involved. Police Chief Bryan Larkin said there is still work to do.

"At the end of the day, you'll notice that our service participated in significant lessons learned and reflection as overall commitment so that we can prevent these instances from occurring," he said during the board meeting on Wednesday.

"We can prevent and learn from these incidents, and while I don't believe we should be defined by one incident, we should not dismiss the community impact that it had, particularly in our Somali community but in our broader community. In short, we always must strive to do better, we always must strive for excellence."

Regional police said they are committed to rebuilding trust with the Somali Canadian community, and that meetings have been held to address the concerns around this incident.

The inspector's use of force analysis cost $8,806.87. There was no cost for Peel police's investigation, although WRPS did offer to pay for it.

The SIU wasn't called in because the man wasn't injured in the incident. The Office of the Independent Police Review couldn't investigate the incident because it requires a public complaint.

But the reviews presented on Wednesday received criticism. Kitchener Centre MPP Laura Mae Lindo said the findings are just as disturbing as the incident itself.

She said that police investigating police does nothing to rebuild trust with law enforcement.