« Je suis un homme noir de 50 ans. J’ai l’habitude. » Dès qu’il a vu la voiture de police ralentir près de son véhicule lui, Stanley Bastien a levé les yeux au ciel.
Publié à 5h00
Le père de famille circulait sur l’autoroute 40 mercredi dernier pour aller à Rivière-des-Prairies. Il était alors à bord d’une auto louée.
L’agent lui a expliqué — très calmement — qu’il conduit une voiture louée. Qu’il est autorisé à lui demander de s’identifier. Il lui demande s’il a un permis valide.
Stanley Bastien, qui a été chauffeur de taxi pendant près de 20 ans et vice-président de la Coop de taxis de l’Est, collabore après avoir questionné le policier du SPVM.
Malgré la politesse et le professionnalisme de l’agent « qui fait ce qu’on lui a appris à faire », l’acte en lui-même demeure dégradant, estime M. Bastien.
« La circulation qui se crée fait en sorte que les gens me regardent comme si j’étais un moins que rien. Tout ce que nous pouvons faire est de sortir le [téléphone] and save [l’interpellation] to avoid overflows, ”he described on Instagram in a post where he broadcasts the video of the arrest. The sequence made the rounds of social networks, arousing the virtual anger of several outraged Internet users.
But after years of indignation, we are becoming jaded, continues Mr. Bastien, currently a self-employed limousine driver. He did not want to play the militant hero by sharing his experience on Wednesday, he pleads.
He could have pushed his questioning of the intervention further, got angry, shouted. But Mr. Bastien remained calm and cooperative. “I could have kept asking him questions, but at the end of the day he’s in a position of authority…and I’m black!” »
That’s why he found it “useful and educational” to broadcast the video filmed using a dash cam.
I wanted to teach a lesson. Let the video be an example of what to do when this happens to you. We got there, trying to avoid misfortunes. When a policeman stops you, identify yourself and avoid it escalating.
Stanley Bastien, former taxi driver and vice-president of the Coop de taxis de l’Est
A deteriorating situation
For the past three years, Stanley Bastien has been stopped by the police more than during his youth. He says it loud and clear: the situation regarding racial profiling is deteriorating. We take advantage of a climate of fear to challenge anyone with a luxurious or rented car. “It wouldn’t happen to a white person. It’s serious what’s happening. »
It’s not true that all police officers are rotten. But there are. It can degenerate. So cooperate and wait for it to pass.
Stanley Bastien, former taxi driver and vice-president of the Coop de taxis de l’Est
During the pandemic, he often worked past curfew, with permission. “There could have been about twenty other tanks, it was me they chose to question. These situations have multiplied. So he started filming them with his phone. To avoid being criticized for using his cell phone in the car, he then opts for a dashboard camera.
The Montrealer does not intend to file a complaint, he sighs. “If I filed a complaint every time it happened to me, I would still be in the paperwork! I’m not going to file a complaint to have the police on my case even more. »
By avoiding any confrontation and questioning during arrests, he wants to set an example for his 12-year-old son, who, according to him, risks experiencing the same thing when he drives. “It boiled inside me. But I was thinking of my child. He must see me calm in these situations. Do you know a white dad who thinks the same thing in the car? Not me. »