Calls are continuing to mount for an independent inquiry after a man who was accused of attacking a Montreal police officer saw all charges against him stayed in an unusual turn of events.
Mayor Valérie Plante told reporters Thursday afternoon that the situation is “unacceptable” and “serious.”
Earlier in the day, she spoke with Quebec Public Security Minister Geneviève Guilbault about the need for a “neutral” investigation to shed light on what happened. Among other elements, she said the probe should examine whether racial profiling played a part in the incident.
“A man was wrongly accused, arrested, detained and that doesn’t make any sense to me,” Plante said.
Mamadi Fara Camara is an innocent man, she said, adding that she was sorry for what he went through over the past week.
Camara, a graduate student who was held in detention for six days and was set to appear in court Wednesday afternoon for a bail hearing, was suddenly released after evidence surfaced exonerating him.
READ MORE: Charges stayed in case of man accused of Montreal police officer’s attempted murder
Last week, Camara was arrested after an officer was allegedly disarmed and attacked after a traffic stop in Montreal’s Parc-Extension neighbourhood. At the time, police said the officer had been shot but later withdrew that claim.
On Wednesday, however, Crown prosecutors said that new information came to light Tuesday night and in the early morning hours, forcing them to re-evaluate the case. The evidence included a video.
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The charges, including attempted murder and three other offences, were then dropped against Camara. Cédric Materne, the lawyer representing Camara, said his client and his family were relieved.
“You have to understand that Mr. Camara has no prior records,” he told Global News. “He’s a student at Polytechnique, he wasn’t the type of person doing that kind of infraction.”
The sudden release of Camara has prompted questions from advocacy groups and the official opposition at the municipal and provincial levels about what happened during the traffic stop and the circumstances surrounding his arrest.
READ MORE: Man charged with attempted murder after police officer injured during Montreal traffic stop
Montreal police, however, are defending the handling of their own investigation — which is still ongoing.
Police chief Sylvain Caron said police officers followed all proper procedures in investigating the alleged attack on the officer and called the probe exceptionally complex.
At a last-minute news conference called late Thursday afternoon, he told reporters that Camara is considered an “important witness.” While describing the situation as “regrettable,” he said the investigation remains very active.
“We are ready to apologize to Mr. Camara once we have all the facts,” said Simonetta Barth, a deputy director with Montreal police.
Police say an analysis of the evidence, including a video, suggests the presence of an additional person at the crime scene. Investigators are also awaiting laboratory results of evidence at the scene, according to police.
Amid calls for an inquiry, Caron also said the department would be open to an independent observer look over their work.
Plante, for her part, said she wants the police department to continue its efforts to find the alleged suspect in the meantime.
Opposition, advocacy group call for independent investigation
Earlier in the day, Quebec Liberal Leader Dominique Anglade that there needs to be an “inquiry that is independent, that would tell us exactly what happened.”
“It is terrible for the person, for his family,” Anglade said at the provincial legislature Thursday. “And that’s why I think we need to really understand what happened. I mean, we can’t leave it the way it is.
“We need to have an inquiry that would tell us exactly what happened in order for this not to happen again. And this is very disconcerting.”
The Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations also voiced concerns about the incident, urging the Quebec government to quickly set up an independent inquiry.
“The Camara affair has dealt a serious blow to the credibility and image of integrity of law enforcement and judicial authorities in Montreal,” the organization said in a statement.
“Public confidence in these authorities has been tested and must be restored at all costs.”
— With files from Global News’ Annabelle Olivier, Gloria Henriquez, Dan Spector and The Canadian Press
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