A Sûreté du Québec officer has been suspended for seven days this week for what the provincial police describe as racist and blasphemous langauge. The officer reportedly made fun of an Algerian-born man's accent and cursed at him in French during his arrest three years ago, in August 2014.
The Police Ethics Committee said in a release that Constable Martin Guénette made remarks deemed "unworthy" of the force toward Walid Benaouda. Benaouda recorded the interaction, unbeknownst to Guénette, from the backseat of the police car.
The committee added in their statement that Guénette's tone was "aggressive" and "disproportionate to the situation", unlike Mr. Benaouda, who is described as being calm and restrained.
It is also alleged that Constable Guénette mocked Benaouda's accent, and implied that the man's lawyer worked for organized crime.
Guénette conceded fault in the incident, and indicated that he had learned from his actions.