VPD officer convicted of assaulting man during jaywalking arrest apologizes

A Vancouver police officer convicted of assaulting a Black man during a jaywalking arrest five years ago made an apology to the victim and community at a sentencing hearing on Wednesday.

Const. Jarrod Sidhu was convicted in February of assault with a weapon for using a Taser against Jamiel Moore-Williams in 2018.

Speaking to a Vancouver courtroom, Sidhu said he was “humbled, embarrassed and ashamed” of what he did, adding it pained him to see how his actions have affected others.

1:41 VPD officer found guilty of assault with weapon

Moore-Williams was not present in court, but he provided a victim impact statement.

“I don’t feel safe anymore, especially around police,” the statement read. “I stopped doing my day-to-day activities … this had an adverse effect on me mentally and physically … I can’t call the police after what happened.”

Crown prosecutors are seeking a 60-day conditional sentence and 12 months of probation. The defence is seeking a conditional discharge.

Crown told the court Wednesday there were two aggravating factors in the case: the nature of the weapon used, and the position of trust Sidhu holds as a police officer.

Defence counsel said Sidhu has taken courses and training on decision-making, use of force and impartial policing since the incident. It also noted he’d been on the force for less than two years at the time of the assault.

1:56 Video captures Vancouver police takedown for alleged jaywalking

Sidhu remains a serving member of the Vancouver Police Department working as a patrol officer, a spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.

In a previous interview, Moore-Williams — a former member of the University of British Columbia’s football team — told Global News he believes police targeted him because he is Black.

The incident was captured on video, which shows officers taking Moore-Williams to the ground, and one officer kneeling on him.

Moore-Williams said he had crossed the road to avoid someone who was throwing rocks when a police cruiser pulled over and officers asked for his ID, but that the situation escalated when more 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 in a 2020 interview.

1:40 Two VPD officers charged over takedown of Black man arrested for jaywalking

Moore-Williams was ticketed for jaywalking and charged with obstruction, but both charges were later stayed.

At trial, the judge found Moore-Williams was sitting on the ground and struggling with five officers when Sidhu Tasered him three times., the first just 17 seconds after the initial takedown.

The judge ruled Moore-Williams was obstructing the officer’s attempt to obtain identification but wasn’t justified in using the taser.

A separate investigation under the Police Act will resume under the aegis of an external police department once the criminal matters have fully concluded, according to the Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner.

Moore-Williams is also pursuing a civil suit and a human rights complaint related to the incident.

It was not immediately clear when the judge would return a sentence in the assault conviction.