The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) opened an investigation on Saturday, after being plunged into deep embarrassment following the arrest of a black man suspected of stealing a vehicle that belonged to him.
Updated at 0:34
The SPVM confirmed on Saturday at the end of the day on social networks that it wanted to “shed light on last Thursday’s event”, which occurred in the afternoon in the parking lot of the Marché central de Montréal.
Dressed in civilian clothes, the two police officers who had handcuffed the driver had no key in their possession to release the man, who was very indignant, free. It was colleagues on patrol cars who came to unlock the handcuffs.
“We are sensitive to the upheaval and the emotion experienced by the citizen as well as the reactions aroused by the event,” said the Montreal Police on Saturday.
The story was made public by posting a nearly six-minute video on social media.
“It’s racial profiling that has caused moral harm to my person, I was traumatized,” said Brice Dossa, in an interview on Saturday with CBC. He told the news channel that he told the police: “If I was a Quebecer like you, you wouldn’t treat me like this, you would do it another way. It’s because I’m not a Quebecer like you”.
Among Quebec elected officials, we could feel anger and doubts.
“The situation raises HUGE questions and is reminiscent of several recent events. Getting to the bottom of things is the bare minimum. Change things for real, that’s what should be done, ”said Liberal Party leader Dominique Anglade on Twitter.
“The circulating video raises questions, wrote us Roxanne Bourque, the press secretary of François Bonnardel, Minister of Public Security. We are very sensitive to the comments circulating. We will make the necessary checks with the SPVM so that they can shed light on the context surrounding the events that were filmed. »
“It doesn’t make sense”
Stéphane Wall, a retired SPVM police officer, explains that “before making an official arrest, there must be reasonable grounds to believe that a person has committed a criminal act”. In the case of last Thursday’s intervention, the investigators only had reason to suspect Mr. Dossa, without reasonable grounds, he continues.
The law allows you to detain a suspect for investigative purposes, but to handcuff him only if he represents a danger or seems to want to flee, explains the former police officer. According to him, the officers who handcuffed Mr. Dossa will have to justify why it was necessary to do so.
Max Stanley Bazin, president of the League of Blacks, doubts the immediate use of handcuffs. “To put handcuffs on a person who is only suspicious […] it is totally disproportionate the use of force that has been made”, according to him. When a policeman handcuffs someone, “it’s the least you can do to have the keys”, otherwise, “it’s gross negligence”, he continues.
“It doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t make sense. The explanations that the police have given are tenuous,” he said, particularly after the recent release of the judgment on racial profiling in the police.
Recall of facts
Last Thursday, two plainclothes investigators who are experts in auto theft were keeping an eye on a white Honda CRV brand SUV that “showed typical and obvious attempted theft marks on one of the locks (damage)”, wrote the SPVM on Twitter.
“There are zero marks on my car, they are bogus arguments because they have nothing to say,” Dossa told CBC.
When he approached the vehicle to board, the two officers arrested him, “temporarily detained for investigation”, and then was “released unconditionally and without charge once the checks were completed”, the authorities said. authorities.
The video posted online, seen thousands of times on social media, was eloquent about the anger of the arrested man and the embarrassment of the police.
“Checking if it was my vehicle was what you had to do before handcuffing me.” […] You have disrespected me and humiliated me,” he added. “Untie me, sir. It hurts me a lot, […] I am a healthcare worker. I am not a bandit “, can we also hear.
“A situation like the one experienced by this citizen affects the feeling of trust between the police and our Montreal communities,” said Alain Vaillancourt, member of the executive committee and responsible for public security at the City of Montreal. However, this bond of trust is essential, not only for police work, but also for the convivial character of our city. »
It is not known whether Mr. Dossa intends to file a complaint against the SPVM and the police officers concerned. The man, however, told CBC that “it is an act that must be discouraged and compensated as well”.
With The Canadian Press