Local police officers were called to a Marché Central car park to extricate the man and now a video of the incident is circulating online. The six-minute video shows officers trying to calm down the unidentified man, who is visibly upset at being handcuffed despite his innocence. The video does not show what led to the detention. The man tells officers it’s his car. Clearly outraged, he asks the police if a white man would have received the same treatment. The Service de Police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM) says the incident was part of an effort to crack down on car theft and the plainclothes officers were car theft investigators. They began searching the car in the parking lot Thursday because it had visible damage to the lock typical of stolen vehicles, but before they could finish, a citizen tried to take it, the SPVM communications team says in an email to the CBC. . “This citizen was then temporarily detained for investigation purposes by the two officers. The citizen was released unconditionally and without charge once the checks were completed,” the email states. The car, a Honda CRV SUV, is on the 2020 and 2021 lists of the most stolen vehicles in Quebec, the email said.
Emergency Keys Needed: Ex Inspector
André Durocher, a former Montreal police inspector, said officers should always have the keys to the handcuffs they carry. “What if you handcuff someone and they have respiratory failure? There could be some serious consequences,” Durocher said. There were two policemen at the scene, he said, and there should have been a key between them. André Durocher, a former Montreal police inspector, says officers should always have a key for the handcuffs they use. (CBC) The only explanation he could think of is that a uniformed officer would normally put the key in a ring on his belt and perhaps that would lead to him forgetting the key. “However, it should be something at all times when you put handcuffs on, you should have the keys that go with it to prevent a tragedy if something happens,” Durocher said. Not only that, he added, the handcuffs may be too tight at first and need to be loosened to prevent injury or pain to the wrist, but without the key, they cannot be loosened. When handcuffs are used to detain someone, Durocher explained, it is at the officers’ discretion. In a case where officers are concerned about a potential car thief who could become violent, it makes sense to handcuff them temporarily while they investigate, but they should still have a key with them at all times, he said.
Camara says Montreal police need to change their ways
Mamadi III Fara Camara said watching the video of the incident brought back painful memories. “Whether you’re black or white, the way the law is applied should be fair to everyone,” he said in an interview with Radio-Canada on Friday. “Actions that give the impression of more discriminatory treatment for certain communities must stop. Justice must be equal for all.” Mamadi Camara says he can’t believe such incidents are happening in Canada. (Charles Dumouchel/Radio-Canada) On January 28, 2021, Camara was arrested, held for six nights and charged with attempted murder after attacking a Montreal police officer during a routine traffic stop. Kamara eventually launched a $1.2 million lawsuit against Montreal. The city settled out of court. Camara said he is outraged that this search of a parked car turned into the humiliation of an innocent man. “How can you use handcuffs that you don’t have the key to? I can’t believe this is happening in Canada,” Camara said. “Especially with all the police academies and training we give. We can’t believe the police are behaving like this.” For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians – from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community – check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here. (CBC)
