The name of the ex-cop known as Officer 728 is back in the news.
The Quebec Human Rights Commission has ordered Stéfanie Trudeau, another police officer and the city of Montreal to pay a Montreal man $40,000 in damages for what they call a case of racial profiling and civil rights abuse over four years ago.
Julian Menezes said in May 2012 he and his friends happened upon a cyclist being ticketed by Trudeau and her partner and decided to stay to support the man who appeared distraught.
"And all I said was that we were staying here to be witnesses and I'm not sure what set her off," said Menezes in an interview with CJAD 800 News.
The human rights commission said the evidence shows Menezes was arrested with excessive force wihout good reason and driven several km from the site, police then dumping him off with a ticket.
"I was handcuffed and put in the back seat of the car. My seat belt wasn't put on, and officer Trudeau sped up at erratic speeds and would slam on the brakes so that my face would hit the plexiglass, the divider between myself and the officers, on many occasions so I sustained injuries to my nose, to my face," said Menezes.
And that's not all.
"She called me a f***ing Indian, told me that I was a skinny bitch and would get f***ed in the ass in prison," said Menezes.
"There were many moments I was afraid for my safety."
Trudeau denied all this during the hearing and could not be reached for comment. The commission concluded Menezes was treated differently from others who were present at the scene because he was a visible minority and that he was a victim of racial discrimination and profiling. The civil rights advocacy group CRARR helped Menezes in the case. The city and the police officers have until tomorrow to indicate if they will comply with the ruling.
Menezes said he hopes to see an in-depth study on racial profiling by police and that changes come to the police force after this ruling.
"They're sending a message that this is a problem, a concrete problem."