Toronto resident complains about the forceful arrest made by Laval police
DeBellefeuille emphasized the need to address racial profiling and police brutality, vowing to advocate for those affected by such treatment.
A Mississauga man, Gulaid Mahdi Omar, has accused Laval police in Quebec of racial profiling and excessive force during an incident on Labour Day Weekend.
Omar claims that on September 1, he was tased, beaten, and pepper-sprayed by over a dozen officers while waiting outside his rental car with friends.
According to Omar, the police intervened abruptly, ordering him and his friends back to their vehicle. He asked multiple times if they were being detained before the situation escalated.
Videos posted by the Red Coalition, a human rights group advocating for Black and racialized people, show Omar being violently restrained. The footage depicts officers pressing their knees into Omar's neck and back while repeatedly punching him on the ground.
The video also shows Omar gasping for air and pleading for his life, with the statement "I can’t breathe."
Joel DeBellefeuille, Executive Director of the Red Coalition, described the incident as deeply disturbing and reminiscent of the George Floyd case.
He criticized the use of excessive force, asserting that Omar was compliant and that the situation was handled inappropriately.
Laval police have stated that officers were patrolling near a bar and intercepted Omar’s vehicle due to its location and the late hour.
The police claim Omar refused to cooperate and resisted arrest, which they say necessitated the use of force. They also mentioned that Omar was arrested, issued traffic violation tickets, and later released on a summons.
The Laval Police Service has indicated that the officers involved are not suspended and that they believe their actions were in line with their training.
They have invited citizens to file complaints with independent bodies like the Commissaire à la déontologie policière or the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse if they have concerns about police conduct.
Omar has sought assistance from the Red Coalition to hold the officers accountable and pursue legal action.
The Red Coalition has filed a police ethics complaint, alleging that the Laval police breached multiple sections of Quebec’s Code of ethics.
DeBellefeuille emphasized the need to address racial profiling and police brutality, vowing to advocate for those affected by such treatment.
