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Police watchdog orders review after retired Black judge detained, handcuffed in Vancouver

Click to play video: 'Exclusive: Office of Police Complaint Commissioner orders review of mistaken arrest'
Exclusive: Office of Police Complaint Commissioner orders review of mistaken arrest
The BC Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner has ordered a review of the Vancouver Police Department's service and policies after the mistaken arrest of retired judge Selwyn Romilly. He was detained as police searched for a Black man half his age. The VPD chief constable apologized for the incident, but third-party complaints prompted the review, including the use of handcuffs – May 27, 2021

British Columbia’s Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner has ordered a review into the erroneous detention and handcuffing of a retired B.C. Supreme Court Judge.

Selwyn Romilly, the first Black person appointed to B.C.’s superior court, was stopped by officers who were looking for a dark-skinned suspect half his age on May 14.

Romilly was released shortly afterward and the officers involved, Vancouver Police Chief Adam Palmer and Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart all apologized.

Click to play video: 'Vancouver mayor apologizes to retired Black B.C. judge wrongly handcuffed by police'
Vancouver mayor apologizes to retired Black B.C. judge wrongly handcuffed by police

The OPCC says Romilly did not file a complaint about the incident, but that third parties did.

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Those complaints have been forwarded to the Vancouver Police Board as a service and policy complaint.

The board must now determine how to respond.

The OPCC says it will be monitoring the review and can also make recommendations.

Click to play video: 'Vancouver police chief apologized to retired judge over handcuffing'
Vancouver police chief apologized to retired judge over handcuffing

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