An RCMP officer who opened fire on a taxi last year in White Rock, B.C., had been rammed onto the vehicle’s hood, according to court documents.
The Mountie, whose name hasn’t been released, is not facing criminal charges in the incident, but cab driver Rashid Ahmad has filed a civil lawsuit against him.
Ahmad’s claim alleges an unmarked police car stopped in front of his cab on Jan. 29, 2014 without lights or siren activated, and a plainclothes officer stepped out and shot at him.
“[The Mountie] exited the unmarked police vehicle in an aggressive fashion with his weapon drawn and shot at the Plaintiff without warning,” the suit reads.
“The bullet hit the windshield of the Plaintiff’s taxi and ricocheted.”
The Mountie and another officer then allegedly smashed Ahmad’s window and dragged him through it onto the street.
Ahmad suffered a cut on his cheek, a bloody nose and mouth, and ongoing stress and anxiety in the incident, his suit claims.
The RCMP tells a different story, however.
In a statement of defence, the force alleges officers tailed Ahmad’s taxi after he picked up a fare from a home involved in a drug trafficking investigation.
The Mounties, identified only as Const. John Doe and Const. Jane Doe, tailed the cab for a couple minutes then pulled ahead with lights activated and stopped, according to the RCMP. One officer then stepped out, drew his weapon and shouted for Ahmad to stop.
“The plantiff did not stop the taxi and instead accelerated and struck the RCMP officer, who fell onto the hood,” the statement reads.
The RCMP claims Const. Doe only opened fire after Ahmad continued driving with him on the vehicle.
The Coquitlam RCMP detachment has already conducted an investigation of the incident, and determined no charges should be laid against either the officers or Ahmad.
“The file and all investigative findings have been carefully reviewed internally as well, looking at all the circumstances, including policy, procedures and training,” spokesman Sgt. Rob Vermeulen said in a statement.
The RCMP, the Attorney Generals of Canada and B.C., the B.C. Minister of Justice, and Const. John and Jane Doe are all named as defendants in Ahmad’s suit.
None of the allegations have been proven in court.
