By Canadian Press

Couple allege racial profiling after Montreal arrest for excessive honking

Nov 21, 2018 | 2:17 PM

MONTREAL — A Montreal couple who were pepper sprayed in their car by police after being stopped for excessive honking during Grand Prix festivities last June say they were victims of racial profiling.

Daniel Louis and Gertrude Dubois, who are black, told a news conference Wednesday they will file a human rights complaint over what they call an unjustified arrest. Louis has already filed a police ethics complaint.

Speaking publicly for the first time about the June 9 incident, Louis, 42, said his initial thought was that police had mistaken him for someone else.

“It was so quick, so savage,” he he said of the spraying, which was captured in a short video that was widely shared on social media. 

He said what started out as an amicable chat with the police officer about honking his horn quickly escalated, and without warning he was doused with pepper spray and violently arrested.

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Dubois, Louis’ girlfriend who was sitting next to him in his car, was also hit by the spray.

On the video, Louis can be heard claiming racism, questioning why he’s being arrested for honking his horn.

“For honking?” he shouts in French as he is handcuffed. Bystanders can be heard shouting at police that other drivers are also leaning on their horns. The person shooting the video is subsequently sprayed.

The Canadian Grand Prix attracts large crowds to the city centre, with plenty of drivers revving their engines and honking their horns.

“We were there to celebrate. We weren’t there to disturb the peace,” Louis said. “We were surprised they targeted us, because there were others there that were honking much louder than us who presented more of a danger.”

Louis and Dubois said it was their first run-in with police, but Louis now believes he was targeted because of his race.

“If I was a white male with grey hair sitting behind the steering wheel, I’m not sure he would have done that,” he said.

Louis says that in addition to two noise violation tickets, he was charged criminally with obstruction and resisting arrest. He said the Crown agreed to withdraw the criminal charges after he paid an $888 fine for his honking.

Fo Niemi, whose Center for Research-Action on Race Relations is supporting the couple in their complaints, said Montreal police and elected officials need to do more to tackle racial profiling.

“People want to know what concrete action is being taken,” Niemi said.

Montreal police declined comment Wednesday because Quebec provincial police are investigating the incident as part of an internal affairs probe.

In a previous interview, police said officers told Louis several times not to honk his horn so crowds wouldn’t get agitated and that he subsequently refused to provide his driver’s licence.

They also claimed the situation became tense and they twice needed to call for “urgent backup.”

The video also showed Louis’ car lurching forward, allegedly striking a police officer’s bicycle in its path.

Louis explained Wednesday it was accidental: the pepper spray came before he had a chance to put his car in park.

The couple says they are still shaken by the incident. They’re very suspicious of police officers and always on edge. Dubois said she advises her nine-year-old son to be weary of authorities.

“I’m scared, I’m shaking,” Louis added. “I’m not the same person as before that incident.”

Sidhartha Banerjee, The Canadian Press