REGINA – Simon Ash Moccasin brought his battle with the Regina Police Service to city hall Monday morning.
Moccasin was forcefully detained and handcuffed by officers in December of 2014. He reported the incident to the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) who agreed that he had been mistreated.
“I’m bringing this letter to the Mayor here today,” said Moccasin.
Unfortunately Mayor Michael Fougere, who is also the chair of the Board of Police Commissioners wasn’t there to receive it.
“I had some prior commitments upstairs so I had to honour those commitments. But I have now received his letter and I’m reviewing it, but I’ve received it,” said Fougere.
The letter contains the results of Moccasin’s complaint to the PCC which oversees police conduct.
The investigation revealed that Regina Police officers had no lawful justification for their use of force and that they had no legal basis to arrest and detain Moccasin on December 10, 2014.
“That night when I was pulled aside police were told to look for someone with no front teeth, short hair, dressed in all black and aboriginal and as they state carrying a TV. I only matched one of them, I am aboriginal,” explained Moccasin.
Moccasin and his lawyer, Larry Kowalchuk believes this was blatant racial-profiling.
“It would take two seconds for you to notice he’s not who you’re looking for. So, what was the only thing that was in common, his skin colour,” said Kowalchuk.
The PCC didn’t determine whether officers racially profiled Moccasin because it isn’t their jurisdiction to do so.
Regina Police Chief Troy Hagen declined to comment further on the matter due to pending legal process.
However, Moccasin is moving ahead and has now filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission about allegations he was racially profiled.
“There’s a lot of people who are afraid out there to tell their stories because of what the police might do to them. I’m not afraid anymore. I use to be afraid,”
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