A Montreal woman who went public with claims of police brutality is now facing criminal charges.

Majiza Philip had her arm broken while being arrested last year, and said she is upset because she was never informed of a court hearing to face charges.

Philip’s trouble with the law began last year when a friend of hers was ejected from the Olympia concert venue for excessive drinking and subsequently ticketed by police for loitering.

Outside the club, Philip knocked on the rear window of the police car to inform her friend she had his jacket. She said she was then grabbed by a police officer who pulled her arms behind her back and used a baton to break her arm.

Philip said she was then handcuffed and taken to a police station for processing before being brought to St-Luc Hospital, where X-rays showed her left humerus was fractured.

“I had to get six screws and a metal plate in my arm,” she said.

The police report of the November 2014 incident has a different viewpoint, and states that Philip was inebriated and struck a police officer when he tried to take her friend's jacket – and does not mention any kind of injury.

“They're saying whatever they have to say to make me appear as a criminal,” said Philip, adding that she feels like the situation is a nightmare.

She has filed a complaint with the police ethics committee about her arrest.

To add to the troubles, Philip only found out in late July that she was supposed to have appeared in court in March to face the two existing charges and two new charges of assaulting a police officer.

Because she never showed up, a warrant was issued for her arrest.

It was during her meeting last week with members of the ethics committee that she learned of the warrant for her arrest and the missed court date.

"The warrant was lifted because I showed up in court the following Monday, right away following my meeting," said Philip.

"I was let out on good conditions. I have to keep the peace."

Philip said she is also trying to find out why she was not informed about the hearing in March, and never received any paperwork about her arrest and initial charges.

"I had to get mugshots and fingerprinted which made me feel even more like a victim."  

The system must be transparent, said human rights activist Fo Niemi, who is the co-founder and executive director of CRARR, the Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations.

“She was charged. She was asked to sign something. Obviously she wasn't in any state to know what she was signing and was never notified,” he said.

Niemi said he'll be contacting the prosecutor's office and the police ethics committee is investigating.

He also points out one of the officers has been suspended before for five days without pay for not stepping in when his partner used excessive force against Quillem Registre.
Registre died in 2007, after being Tasered by police six times in less than a minute.

“I'm confident in my case, because I know the police case is so far from the truth,” said Philip.

She returns to court in September.