‘They pushed me:’ Black man says he was racially profiled by Montreal police

A 23-year-old man and his mother are accusing Montreal police of racial profiling, abuse of power, and excessive force following a traffic stop earlier this month.

The family is demanding answers after they claim the aspiring professional football player was unjustly handcuffed and ticketed in the city’s north end.

"I feel really bad. I feel humiliated because I’m not that type of person," said Jeff Guervil, who is Black, while sharing his account with reporters on Tuesday. "I’m a good person."

The incident took place around 7 p.m. on August 12 as Guervil, a linebacker, was on his way to a football game.

"When I was driving, a police car saw me, and when I got in front of him, he intercepted me," Guervil recounted.

Guervil says he was asked for identification, so he provided the officer with his insurance papers and a temporary document from Quebec’s automobile insurance board, the SAAQ, due to ongoing technical issues at the agency.

Guervil, holding a temporary document to verify his right to drive, says he waited for 30 minutes and called his mother. He was then asked by a police officer to step out of the car "because my license might be false."

"They took me and they pushed me," Guervil said, describing how he was then handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car.

"They were so tight on my hands. I wasn’t feeling my hands," he said about the handcuffs.

Fo Niemi, executive director of the civil rights group Center for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR), stated that police arrested Guervil "without explaining why he was arrested and handcuffed."

When Guervil’s mother, Sheila Dragon, arrived at the scene, she began recording the incident with her phone. She reported that about four or five police cars were present.

After nearly an hour, Guervil was issued a $1,076 ticket for driving without a license and was charged with obstruction.

"To this day, he still doesn’t know why he was arrested in the first place," Niemi added.

Guervil’s vehicle was also impounded, but the SAAQ sent a letter the following day stating the impoundment was a mistake and that the car could be retrieved at no cost.

"Since then, we have found that this seizure should not have been made and we have canceled it. We therefore authorize you to recover your vehicle today at no cost," reads the letter dated August 13.

Meanwhile, Dragon was allegedly fined $50 for jaywalking while recording the incident.

The family believes police tried to contact them by phone and in person the following day, but they were too afraid to answer the door or respond to calls from an anonymous number.

Guervil, who dreams of playing professional football in the United States, now faces the possibility that this arrest could jeopardize his future.

"Having a criminal charge or record could basically ruin his future," Niemi warned.

The incident has deeply affected both Guervil and his mother. Dragon described the situation as "not normal" and said it left her feeling "humiliated."

"I don’t want this situation to happen in the future with other people in Montreal North," Guervil stated.

CRARR plans to contest the charges in court and report the case to Quebec’s Human Rights Tribunal and the province’s police ethics commission.

Montreal police declined to comment on specific incidents "to prevent any influence on a potential judicial, ethical or disciplinary process."

"If a person feels wronged during a police intervention, they can file a complaint with the SPVM or an independent organization," police said in an email on Tuesday. "That being said, we will carry out verifications with the concerned units."