Two Vancouver police officers have been charged in connection with the arrest of a Black man for jaywalking nearly three years ago.
Const. Jarrod Sidhu has been charged with assault with a weapon and Const. Jagpreet Ghuman has been charged with assault in connection with the Feb. 2018 arrest of Jamiel Moore-Williams on the Granville Strip, the BC Prosecution Service confirmed Tuesday.
Moore-Williams told Global News back in June that he believes he was targeted because he is Black.
Video shows Moore-Williams taken to the ground by officers. One officer can also be seen kneeing him.
Moore-Williams told Global News that he had walked into the road to avoid someone who was throwing stones when officers pulled over and approached him.
He said he was asked for ID, but the situation escalated as other officers arrived.
“As soon as these other police officers came in, they just saw me and attacked me. One guy pushes me, one guy grabs my leg, my wallet is ripped out of my hand, and then tasers ensued,” he said.
“Kneeing, kicking to the face — it’s insane, they really tried to damage me.
“I could have died.”
Moore-Williams said he was tasered multiple times before officers took to him to hospital, then jail.
He was later ticketed for jaywalking and charged with obstruction. Both were later stayed.
Moore-Williams, a former member of the UBC football team, said the incident is an example of systemic racism, and he is still haunted by the events of that night.
“Every time I see a cruiser I have to look because I’m fearful for my life,” he said back in June.
“For you to see me and because I don’t look like you and because I may be large to you … if that’s what in your brain is needed to take me down, that’s crazy.”
— With files from Simon Little and Catherine Urquhart