Security video shows Indigenous man and granddaughter being handcuffed by Vancouver police
Security video showing an Indigenous man and his 12-year-old granddaughter being handcuffed in downtown Vancouver more than a year ago has now been made public.
While the police are defending the officers' actions in response to a human rights complaint filed following the incident, the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs (UBCIC) is now looking to intervene in the case, and is calling for action on systemic racism.
The 45-minute long video shared by the UBCIC and the Heiltsuk Nation shows two police officers with Maxwell Johnson and his granddaughter out on the busy sidewalk of Burrard Street.
The officers place them in handcuffs, and roughly 13 minutes later it appears the cuffs are removed from the child. More than 30 minutes after first appearing outside, Johnson and a police officer appear to head back towards the bank.
Johnson says the video is still hard to watch.
“I had to keep calm and keep a good head on my shoulders for my granddaughter, because she was crying,” he said. “That was one of the hardest things to see.”
Johnson went to the bank in December 2019 to open an account for his granddaughter, when staff mistakenly suspected fraud and called 911. Last fall, Johnson filed a human rights complaint. Now the UBCIC is also hoping to get involved, represented by lawyer and former B.C. child and youth representative Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond.
“These kinds of police acts, where people are handcuffed and humiliated and mistreated, and their rights are not respected, these are very serious issues that will not be tolerated,” Turpel-Lafond said. “There has to be proper justice here. There has to be proper change.”
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip with the UBCIC said his organization and other Indigenous people across the country are standing in solidarity with Johnson and his granddaughter.
“We have all experienced ugly racism that is very harmful and very traumatizing,” he said. “And in extreme cases, racism kills. It must stop. It must stop now.”
Johnson and the Heiltsuk Nation have also launched an online anti-racism campaign, called Strong As Cedar, where people are being encouraged to share their experiences, as well as help fundraise for legal fees.
Chief councillor of the Heiltsuk Nation Marilyn Slett said their leadership is supporting Johnson and his granddaughter, and want to empower their members to speak out and seek justice.
“In a just society, Indigenous people must be able to walk down the street, go grocery shopping, go to the bank, carry out ordinary activities of life without being assumed to be criminals,” she said.
In a response filed to the human rights complaint, legal counsel for the Vancouver Police Board deny the officers actions were discriminatory, and called their conduct “appropriate and measured."
The police department would not comment on Wednesday, citing an ongoing investigation by the Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner.
Johnson said he’d like more education around government-issued status cards, which he had provided at the bank before an employee became suspicious and called police, and an apology.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Leafs star Auston Matthews finishes season with 69 goals
Auston Matthews won't be joining the NHL's 70-goal club this season.
Trump lawyers say Stormy Daniels refused subpoena outside a Brooklyn bar, papers left 'at her feet'
Donald Trump's legal team says it tried serving Stormy Daniels a subpoena as she arrived for an event at a bar in Brooklyn last month, but the porn actor, who is expected to be a witness at the former president's criminal trial, refused to take it and walked away.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Woman who pressured boyfriend to kill his ex in 2000s granted absences from prison
A woman who pressured her boyfriend into killing his teenage ex more than a decade ago will be allowed to leave prison for weeks at a time.
Customers disappointed after email listing $60K Tim Hortons prize sent in error
Several Tim Horton’s customers are feeling great disappointment after being told by the company that an email stating they won a boat worth nearly $60,000 was sent in error.