“These are not good cops”: Homeless man allegedly pushed by Montreal police officer speaks out – Montreal
Montreal police (SPVM) introduced they’re investigating after a video of two officers started circulating on social media. The TikTok video reveals one police officer apparently pushing a homeless man to the bottom in a Chinatown alleyway on Thursday.
Bader Niang, the person within the video, almost fell right into a concrete block. He tells World Information he’s “fortunate” it was an in depth name.
“If my head had been harm, perhaps I’d be lifeless,” he mentioned.
The 30-year-old homeless man typically shelters within the Chinatown alleyway the place a witness shot the video.
Niang moved to Canada from Senegal seven years in the past for varsity. He mentioned he stays on a mattress coated by wood crates with different folks from Senegal as a result of it’s heat.
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“I don’t prefer to be alone,” including “I discover folks from my nation, I stick with.”
He claims two officers woke him up Thursday and mentioned it was time to depart.
“I take time for wakeup, put my sneakers and go, however this man begins to argue with me and the second man, the tall one, got here and harm me,” he mentioned.
Montreal police declined a World Information’ interview request. In a tweet they write they’re conscious of the video, and after preliminary evaluation the SPVM is launching an investigation.
Regardless of the altercation, Niang mentioned “I don’t hate police,” however added the 2 officers in query “aren’t good cops.”
“I’ve plenty of police who come right here, discuss to me like a buddy, I discuss to them. We’ve good relations with one another,” he mentioned.
Welcome Corridor Mission’s CEO Sam Watts mentioned when he first noticed the video he thought “this will’t be Montreal.”
The non-profit neighborhood group companions with the police to assist weak Montrealers. Watts mentioned the officers’ actions are an exception.
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“They usually do an incredible job of in search of to grasp after which working with us to assist people who find themselves in issue. So my first response was this appears utterly out of character,” he instructed World Information.
Previous Brewery Mission trains police cadets in regards to the realities of homeless folks. CEO James Hughes mentioned the “appalling” behaviour proven within the video is opposite to what police are skilled to do.
“They must be approached and interacted with — with the type of humanity and sensitivity that we’d count on from all of us. And the police know that, the police are skilled in that,” mentioned Hughes.
Based on Niang, he’s nonetheless recovering from the altercation, mentally and bodily, with scrapes on his knees to indicate for it.
He hopes his expertise will educate all law enforcement officials to deal with everybody with respect.
“Police have to assist folks, not harm folks,” he mentioned.
