Laval resident Pradel Content feels vindicated by a recent Police Ethics Committee ruling.
“I think it’s good,” he told Global News from his backyard, “because I definitely feel it’s in my favour.”
The provincial body that reviews police ethics complaints concluded on June 8 that two Laval police officers erred when they gave Content a ticket.
“In its decision on the merits, the Committee concludes that officers (Philippe) Bélisle and (Kévin) Langlois seriously lacked discernment in the exercise of their discretion and abused their authority by issuing the report, thus contravening section 6 of the Code,” the judgement reads.
According to the statement of facts in the decision, on the evening of July 12, 2018 Content, who is Black, was in front of his home when police officers stopped and turned a spotlight unto him.
“They came in front of my house to harass me,” Content recalled.
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Content began video-recording the officers and after a heated exchange Content called the police a derogatory name. Days later the Laval man got a ticket in the mail for insulting an officer.
But in their finding the committee ruled that Content’s use of the word “is an expression of (his) exasperation resulting from the questionable intervention of the police…”
It continues, “in this sense, the offense with which Mr. Content is charged is not the cause of this intervention, but is its result.”
Content says after five years he feels relieved.
“We’re finally going somewhere but look how long it took for me to finally go somewhere,” he said.
This is the third battle he’s won with this case.
“First with the municipal court, second with the Quebec human rights commission and third, now, with the police ethics committee,” explained Fo Niemi of the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR), the civil rights organization helping Content.
One officer is suspended for two days but Content is unhappy Bélisle, the senior cop, got just six days since he had been suspended previously for 55 days, for an unrelated offense.
“What is the precinct waiting for? For him to actually kill somebody?” Content wondered.
He says Bélisle should not be in a position to be training other officers and wants him fired.
Still, Niemi thinks the victory does sends a message to police.
“To exercise the police powers with a lot of discretion and a lot of care,” he noted.
In a statement a Laval police spokesperson Stéphanie Beshara wrote that the force “does not tolerate any form of discrimination. Integrity, respect and diversity are at the heart of our Department’s values and guide our daily actions and our ongoing commitment to the Laval community.”
She said the force is still waiting for the decision but that “we will provide our full and complete cooperation in the application of the sanctions if necessary.”
Content still has one more case against Laval police pending.
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