A black Côte-des-Neiges man who says he was wrongly and violently arrested last February is outraged that his complaint was dismissed by the Quebec Police Ethics Commissioner.
Errol Burke was buying milk at a Côte-des-Neiges depanneur when he said he was violently taken down by three police officers, two of whom had their firearms pointed at him.
Police had been seeking an attempted murder suspect described as a "black man in military garb." Burke was wearing a winter parka with a camouflage pattern on it.
Burke said he was later released because they had the wrong man but there was no apology or concern about his well-being after he was allegedly slammed face first into a door, pinned to the wall, grabbed by the head which was violently jerked backwards, dragged away, pinned down and handcuffed.
The ethics commissioner dismissed the complaint saying the police's actions were justified considering the circumstances.
Burke maintains that police picked him out because "to non-Black people, we all look alike."
Errol Burke says police mistook him for an attempted murder suspect -"black man in military garb." But his complaint was dismissed. #CJAD pic.twitter.com/6wf94eps1x
— Shuyee Lee (@sleeCJAD) July 4, 2017
Burke said he is appealing the ruling, concerned his case will be swept under the rug.
"It'll say to me that the police ethics commission thinks that it's fine for police to do whatever they want to people of colour and I don't know where that will lead," said Burke at a news conference.
The Centre for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR) has been helping Burke with the complaints process.
"The commission didn't look at his complaint properly. I think the biggest aspect of the complaint is the flagrant disregard, even reckless disregard of his health and safety after the officers realized they got the wrong man," said CRARR executive director Fo Niemi.
The police ethics commissioner would not comment on the ruling.
Errol Burke appealing police ethics commissioner ruling. Life heavily impacted by wrongful police arrest in Côté-des-Neiges in Feb. #CJAD pic.twitter.com/Pe5Gefdh4v
— Shuyee Lee (@sleeCJAD) July 4, 2017