Coalition filing complaints after alleged driving while Black incident in Laval
The racial justice group, The Red Coalition, is planning to file a complaint against the Laval police chief after they say a man was racially profiled in September.
Carl Luberisse, 41, was travelling home for a work break as he always did, when he was pulled over by Laval police (SPL) officers. He believes it was an instance of racial profiling.
Security footage shows Luberisse approaching the door to his workplace, but officers stop him from entering.
He said the police asked him to stop and identify himself, which he did not want to do. He said they told him that his car was registered to a 30 year old, and that he repeatedly asked officers why they wanted his ID.
In the end, Luberisse picked up tickets for failing to signal a turn and for obstructing a police officer, which added up to fines of more than $650.
"I'm not a gangster. I'm not a thug," he said. "I got two kids. I'm working. I'm a father. So they need to change this."
Laval police and Luberisse's place of work did not respond to CTV News requests for comment.
Luberisse claims the police interaction led to his dismissal from his job.
The Red Coalition said it will file complaints against the SPL officers and its chief, Pierre Brochet.
The coalition alleges that its aware of several instances of racial bias by the SPL and is calling for the Quebec Human Rights Commission to investigate the force.
"They need to apologize," said Luberisse. "They need to change this situation. It's not making sense."
The coalition would also like Quebec to reconsider its plans to appeal a recent court decision which bars police from conducting street checks.
"What separates us from police?" asked Red Coalition founder Joel Debellefeuille. "Absolutely nothing, except they wear a badge. So you cannot tell me that they do not have the same stereotypes that everybody in this room knows what I'm referring to about black people."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.