A young black man believes he fell victim to racial profiling after some blocks from his home were handcuffed by Montreal police on Saturday because a reflector was missing on his bike.
• read more: Racial profile in Repentigny: “I feel like a co-citizen”
• read more: Racial Profile: A lawyer sued six SPVM agents and the city of Montreal
• read more: Affected MP in Parliamentary Profile
“I hear stories around me, but I never thought it would be me,” Browd breathed a sigh of relief.
On the way to play music with a friend, the 27-year-old sound engineer found a black man arrested at around 2 p.m.
“What are you waiting for to start filming?” One of the agents would have introduced him.
A patrol was notified that a reflector was missing from Proddle Hounho’s bicycle. A police officer asked to identify himself, which prompted the Montreal to question the misunderstanding.
When he started filming on his cell phone, he was tied up and handcuffed against the wall of a Vietnamese pub. The search, which lasted about 4 minutes, involved at least three police officers. Montreal, who returned to the scene of the intervention on Sunday, had some marks on his wrist. He should get a ticket in the mail soon.
“I was trembling. The policeman told me to stop. They don’t like people who are so trembling,” he said. Houn Ho recalled that he had experienced such a situation for the first time.
Complaints
One of the passers-by who saw the scene and filmed a game was Mr. He encouraged Hon Ho to appeal to the Center for Research on Race Relations (CRARR).
With the organization’s support, the man from Benin wants to file a complaint with police ethics and human rights commissions.
“This is a very bad, excessive intervention, as he describes it,” commented Fo Naimi, director general of CRARR.
The actions of the Montreal City (SPVM) Police Department are “clear” due to the color of his skin, Mr. Haunho believes.
Events take place very close to his home. “I have a small family and I’m starting to get scared,” says the 10-month-old girl’s father. I ‘m thinking of moving. “
“The SPVM has taken note of the video and these incidents are being taken seriously,” the police force responds. So the neighboring station commander will take the time to analyze the facts considering the circumstances and context of the intervention. “
