At a time when the reputation of the Service de police de la Ville de Québec was damaged, the police fraternity demanded the presumption of innocence.
• Read also: [EN IMAGES] Violent interventions: a third video under the magnifying glass of the SPVQ
• Read also: [EN IMAGES] Watch the full video of the SPVQ’s intervention at Portofino
• Read also: Crisis at the SPVQ after violent arrests, five police officers suspended
With the appearance of a third video of a muscular intervention, in the last few hours, should we conclude that the police in Quebec are used to using brutality in their tactics?
“When we watch these videos, we only have a portion of the intervention. As I have been repeating since Sunday, we have to be careful because these images do not demonstrate what happened before and what led to the intervention, ”said Martine Fortier on LCN airwaves.
The spokesperson for the SPVQ police fraternity recalls that the five agents are suspended and that the investigation is continuing. That we must let the investigators work.
“I believe that the police and the public have the right to wait until the investigation is known before their behavior is judged. I am not defending the indefensible, I am asking that the police be treated the same as the citizens.
“That is to say, they do not have their sentence on the basis of partial evidence.”
Even if she says she does not excuse the behavior of some police officers on the videos of the disturbing intervention with the young Black Pacific Niyokwizera and that of Jean-Philippe St-Laurent, customer at the Portofino restaurant in Sainte-Foy a few hours earlier, Mme Fortier tried to calm things down.
“When they physically intervene with a person, it means that we have to arrest a person and stop an offense. When there is a physical intervention, it is because it does not collaborate or is recalcitrant.
“There are elements that drive a physical intervention. These videos are taken out of context. This is what makes us really want to warn people about the importance of evaluating the elements as a whole. ”
Snow in the face
In the case of Pacifique Niyokwizera, the 17-year-old is restrained on the ground and an agent buries his face in snow with a kick. Such a practice aroused the anger of witnesses and Internet users. How to explain such a method, knowing that the young man is immobilized?
“It’s not a technique that is taught at (L’École nationale de police de) Nicolet, I won’t hide it from you. On the other hand, we have to say it to ourselves, it is not because a person is on the ground that he is under control. Without commenting on this intervention specifically, these are things that we see. If our security is not assured, obviously, we must take the means to control a person.
“There are different techniques taught at the police institute. There are slaps in particular that can be used as a diversionary technique to complete the handcuff. I think it’s important to make the population aware of that. ”
Once in the autopatrol, Pacifique Niyokwizera said he heard several derogatory remarks referring to his neighborhood and innuendo about street gangs would have arisen, according to his account.
The officers then allegedly brought him down near the Palais station. He would have had to go back the other way, hoping that he would find his friends; a police officer threw away his phone during the altercation.
“This is Mr. Pacific’s version of the story. What I am telling you is waiting for the results of the police investigation. There is a connection. Radio waves were recorded. There are GPS devices on cars. The real story, we will know it. ”
Deconfinement: “overflow” and “over-charged spirit”
Friday night, the GRIPP squad was patrolling around Quebec’s food service businesses. According to Ms. Fortier, these police officers are “assigned to the surveillance of bars and the exit of bars” and intervene with intoxicated people, in particular.
Since the deconfinement, the SPVQ has noticed that revelers are storming bistros and nightclubs in a “boosted” state.
“I will not hide from you that with the year of confinement and the restrictions that we have experienced, it has not been easy since the deconfinement. We can see that the minds of people are jerked up. They have been deprived for a long time and it shows clearly in their carelessness.
“I think there is really an overflow and, indeed, there are overflows that we can see.”
Never mind, five police officers were suspended and the mayor Bruno Marchand himself spoke of a “bad evening” which he describes as “very worrying” with regard to the police force, Wednesday morning, before the third video surfaced. Is there a complete evaluation to be done within the SPVQ?
“I’ll return a question to you.” I see the (third) video and there is no snow. It does not date from yesterday. I wonder why this video is coming out today when the SPVQ is under the microscope.
“Was there an ethics complaint that was made at that time? It would be interesting to know that and to know if that person complained about the behavior of the police. It is legitimate to ask the question. “
In the meantime, there could be other images emerging on social media. The SPVQ expects it, according to Ms. Fortier.
“Obviously, I expect there will be more videos coming out. You know, we have a snowball effect. I repeat: there is a police intervention and before (this one), there is a context. ”
