A month after a viral video came out showing a Montreal officer with a knee on the back of a black teenager, the Villeray community leadership is urging the police to end racial profiling.
The footage of the police officer with his knee on the 15-year old’s back was taken after officers were called to end a fight in the George Vanier High School Area students from two different schools.
Leaders, including Villefranche and Quebec’s solidaire MNA Andres Fontecilla, are asking for more social workers to be brought to the community and for police reforms to end racial profiling.
Villefranche stated that she hopes to see tactics like police placing their knees on the necks of those they arrest.
The SPVM’s spokesperson noted that the procedure would be for an investigation to be done each time an officer abuses their authority. When the video went viral, the SPVM stated the teenager had cuffs on, had been searched and police found a stun gun.
Police declined to comment on the status of the investigation, noting a lawsuit by the family was in the pipeline.