A Vancouver police officer has been found guilty of assault for Tasering a Black man after he was stopped and arrested for jaywalking in the city’s downtown core nearly five years ago.
Const. Jarrod Sidhu was convicted of assault with a weapon in Vancouver Provincial Court on Monday. Court heard Sidhu used his Taser three times on Jamiel Moore-Williams while he was surrounded by five other police officers on Granville Street in 2018.
“I reject … that Mr. Moore-Williams posed a risk of imminent bodily harm to anyone. I reject … that no lesser use of force was available to address any risk,” Judge Emmet Duncan told the court as Sidhu sat in a dark suit next to his lawyer.
“I do not accept the Taser was proportionate [or] necessary.”
Sidhu was one of two officers charged after Moore-Williams was stopped for stepping into the street in front of a police cruiser. Moore-Williams, who has also filed a civil lawsuit, has long maintained the officers targeted him because of his race.
A spokesperson for the police department on Monday could not immediately confirm whether Sidhu will remain on duty.
“A Police Act investigation will be resuming, as it was suspended during the criminal trial. As such, it would be inappropriate to provide any other details,” read an email.
More to come.
WATCH | Jamiel Moore-Williams is arrested in downtown Vancouver in February 2018:
Cellphone video shows Jamiel Moore-Williams being physically detained by police, after he allegedly jaywalked in the Granville Entertainment District.
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
More Stories
Fair share: the right office solution can take finding the right partner
Ontario faces crew shortages, aircraft issues in fight against wildfires | Globalnews.ca
Refugee attends open house at Downtown Eastside affordable housing facility – BC | Globalnews.ca