Laval police handcuff, illegally search Black military man’s home after street check: Red Coalition

Laval police allegedly stopped a Black aerospace engineer with the Canadian military, illegally searched his home, then criminally charged him. That’s according to the Red Coalition, an anti-racism group, which is denouncing the alleged treatment of Captain Pierre Emanuel Joseph by Laval police. The group says Joseph was “street checked” by police and asked for ID after returning home from a run. He did not have ID on him, and instead verbally identified himself.

Police allegedly handcuffed him, took him home and illegally entered the residence – while neighbours watched. They allegedly verbally abused the man, claimed his military uniform was fake and threw it on the ground.

Joseph had his handcuffs removed once police found his military ID.

The Red Coalition says Joseph then called Laval police director Pierre Bourget, “who appeared sympathetic.” Joseph also filed complaints with the police ethics commissioner and the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse (CDPDJ).

Two months later, Joseph was charged criminally by the SPVL with obstructing a police officer for refusing to identify himself.

“The Laval police also contacted the military police and reported their version of the event. When Captain Joseph attempted to provide the military police with his version of the incident, he was verbally abused by the investigator,” Red Coalition said in a news release.

“The treatment received from the Laval police and the military police by Captain Joseph reveals a serious problem with a police culture that sees any black person as a potential criminal and a liar.

“If Captain Joseph, who has been serving his country for over a decade is going to be treated that way by the police, no Black person is immune from racial profiling in this province.”

Joseph agreed to an out-of-court settlement of his criminal charges and asked the police ethics commissioner to close his file. Red Coalition says he did this to avoid further trouble.

The complaint with the CDPDJ remains open, but Joseph says he has not heard anything “for several months.”

Joseph says the entire situation has made him want to leave Quebec.

“I have had to move from where I lived because I kept getting harassed by the Laval police following the event,” he said. “Now I just want to leave this province all together. No Black person is safe here.”

City News Montreal

Canada lifts education requirement for Hong Kong immigrants

cont’d from pg. 22

Vancouver-based Immigration consultant Peter Pang said the move is a “huge change,” opening up more opportunities to Hong Kongers to contribute to Canada.

Richmond, B.C., immigration consultant Ken Tin Lok Wong said that while the current rules do not ban older people, the time limits since graduation had effectively set a bar.

To have graduated in the past five years generally meant applicants to Stream B were not particularly old, and were “of working age,” he said.

Wong said he had some clients who were ready to pack their bags and leave Canada. But they now felt like they had “hit the jackpot.”

“The announcement feels like Canada is helping to retain Hong Kongers regardless of their education,” he said.

“So, if you happen to be a legal worker in Canada, if you happen to obtain one year of work experience, then you are through.” The Canadian Press