Woman alleges she was tackled by a Montreal police officer for briefly not wearing a mask
A 53-year-old Montreal woman alleges she was thrown to the ground by police after lowering her mask while leaving a metro station.
“I’m still traumatized by the situation,” said Dora Quintero Sanabria, who says she was tackled while exiting Georges-Vanier station on her way home from work on Oct. 5.
She says her glasses were foggy, and she was having trouble seeing. She pulled down her mask as she was exiting, she told CTV.
She says a police officer, who was standing outside the station, confronted her, and accused her of not wearing her mask while inside.
“[The officer] made some remarks about her French, which we think is an indication of bias,” said Fo Niemi, executive director of the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations. “The situation escalated from there."
Thinking she was free to go, she says she turned to leave.
Then, she says, the officer grabbed her phone out of her hands, threw it into a nearby bush, and tackled her to the ground.
She says the dress she was wearing rode up, exposing her underwear. Instead of helping her cover up, she says the officer cuffed her.
“Nobody did anything for me,” she told CTV News.
She says he put his boot on her still-exposed hip, pinning her to the ground while he searched through her bag for ID.
"This is extremely humiliating,” said Niemi, “for a woman to be treated like that."
Police officers patrol a metro station in Montreal, Saturday, September 19, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Police officers patrol a metro station in Montreal, Saturday, September 19, 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues in Canada and around the world. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
Bystander video provided to the family (see video report above) shows police lifting Quintero Sanabria off the ground.
She says she suffered a number of injuries during the altercation, including a bruise on her right hip.
"There are ways to do it, [as opposed to] the zero-tolerance approach, plus excessive force, to the point where people have serious bodily and psychological damages,” said Niemi of the officer’s alleged conduct.
After around 25 minutes, Quintero Sanabria says she was released without a ticket, after which she filed a complaint with Montreal police.
Since then, she says, she’s been contacted by an investigator with the Surete du Quebec, though neither police department was willing to confirm to CTV whether an investigation has been opened.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to squash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
A subset of Alzheimer's cases may be caused by two copies of a single gene, new research shows
For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.