Mounties in Kelowna, B.C., are attempting damage control after an officer was videotaped kicking a co-operative suspect in the face.

Supt. Bill McKinnon called a news conference Saturday in advance of a Sunday rally planned to protest the officer's actions and support Buddy Tavares, the man arrested on Jan. 7.

"I want to ensure the public that senior members of the RCMP hear loud and clear what the general public's views are in relation to the video that has been shown across the country and is readily accessible on the internet," McKinnon said, reading from a prepared statement.

The video, shot by a bystander across the street, shows Tavares getting out of his truck with his hands in the air. Two officers have their guns drawn and one kicks the man in the face as he is getting on the ground.

Tavares, 51, is charged with careless use of a firearm. He was stopped after shots were fired at a Kelowna-area golf course.

Tavares is on leave from his job at the golf course while recovering from a brain injury suffered in a recent motorcycle crash.

Tavares said he was asked by his employer to use a shotgun to scare geese off the greens.

When Tavares was released from custody, he had a black eye and several scrapes on his face.

Mountie defends suspension with pay

Investigators from the independent Abbotsford police service arrived earlier in the week to look into the incident.

McKinnon said the investigators have about 40 witnesses to interview in the case. Three more investigators were also brought in to expedite the probe.

"We realize the processes are not moving as quickly as most people would like, but everyone must understand that the processes must be followed and the processes are legislated in the RCMP Act," McKinnon said.

The officer involved, Const. Geoff Mantler, has been suspended with pay pending the investigation.

McKinnon defended that decision too, saying suspensions with and without pay are not sanctions.

"They are preventive measures designed to protect the RCMP's integrity and its processes pending outcome of the matter which gives rise to these measures."

He said a stop in pay would only be made in extreme circumstances.

But residents have been demanding action against the officer, and McKinnon said he has read some angry comments on various internet blogs about planned civil disobedience during a protest rally to be held Sunday in Kelowna.

"I urge everyone to remain calm, make their point, and allow the legal processes that are in place to come to completion," he said.