Fondé en 1983 --Unis pour la diversité et l'égalité raciale

POLICE ETHICS COMMITTEE HEARING INTO ANOTHER MISCONDUCT CASE INVOLVING AGENT 728



Montréal, June 5, 2016 — The Police Ethics Committee will begin hearings this coming Monday into another case of misconduct involving former Montreal Police officer Stéphanie Trudeau, known as “Agent 728.”

The hearing will take place on Monday, June 6, 2016, at 9:00 am, at 500 René Lévesque West, Suite 6.100, Room 2, 6th floor (corner of Beaver Hall). The hearing is open to the public.

The case involves Trudeau, who is cited by the Police Ethics Commissioner for numerous police ethics violations, including illegal detention and arrest, use of racial slurs, excessive use of force, mistreatment, unjustified fine and negligence regarding the health and safety of Mr. Julian Menezes.

A second officer, Constantinos Samaras, who was involved in the incident, is cited by the Commissioner for failure to identify himself at Mr. Menezes’ request and for failure to intervene to stop Trudeau’s actions.

Mr. Menezes, who is of Indian background and a lecturer at McGill University, was violently arrested in May 2012 by Trudeau and Samaras in the Plateau Mont-Royal district while coming home from a wedding with two white female friends. When he and his two friends saw police officers speaking to a visibly shaken cyclist, the three, out of concern, inquired as to what had happened. The cyclist explained that he was ostensibly being ticketed by the officers for not having the right light on his bike, but that he believed it was for wearing a “red square” (a symbol worn by students demonstrating against tuition increase at the time).

Trudeau became aggressive, accused Mr. Menezes of being drunk, grabbed him and threw him to the ground. Both officers then handcuffed Mr. Menezes, pushed him hard into the police car, and drove him away. He was given a “Starlight Tour”, whereby he was transported to a district far from the arrest, with which he was unfamiliar, and released in the North-end of the island at 3:30 am, without the means to get home.

While in the police vehicle, he was subjected to racial slurs (including being called a “f-cking Indian”) and the threat of sexual violence. During the drive, both officers deliberately stopped the car abruptly several times, causing his face to slam against the glass dividing the front and back of the police car. In addition, he suffered a sprained ankle during the arrest, and received a fine of $146 for “continuing to do an act”, an act the ticket fails to specify.

He sought CRARR’s help in filing a complaint with the Police Ethics Commissioner, and another complaint with the Quebec Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission.