Toronto bylaw officer accused of threats, racism
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Two women claim they were threatened by a Toronto bylaw officer because they’re black.
Deborah and Eva were confronted by a municipal bylaw officer Tuesday in Centennial Park, who accused the pair of trespassing and allegedly remarked he’d be permitted to “shoot them” if he caught the duo in his home.
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Eva posted a video of the heated exchange with the officer.
“We got to the park at about 9 a.m.,” said Deborah, adding they planned to exercise on the park’s seemingly open running track. The gate to the track had been left open and was already in use by others.
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As the morning progressed, only the two women and three others remained on the field.
“Two white teenagers came up to us saying, ‘We’ve got to go, the bylaw officer is here,'” Deborah recalled.
Realizing they may actually not be allowed to use the track, the two women packed up and left.
“We went to the gate, and noticed it was now closed,” said Deborah.
Watching the teens hop the gate, the women went to do the same — and were immediately confronted by the officer.
“We watched him not ask them for anything, nor did he say anything to them,” Deborah said.
Asking if they were aware they were trespassing, the officer allegedly told them “if this were my home, I would be licensed to shoot the both of you.”
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That’s when Eva started recording.
“We were upset,” Deborah said.
“Because, it’s like, ‘You just threatened us and now you’re asking us for our ID, how come you’re not asking everybody else?'”
Last month’s in-custody death of George Floyd by Minnesota police sparked debate about systemic racism in law enforcement, with Toronto’s black community reminding everyone that Toronto isn’t immune to the problem.
City spokesman Brad Ross said an investigation was launched as soon as they became aware of the video. Taking to Twitter, Mayor John Tory called the allegations “extremely disturbing,” saying they warranted a “full and complete” investigation.
Deborah, who said this was the first time she’d personally experienced anything like this, hopes the city will do what’s necessary to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
“You can’t do that, especially if you’re representing a city that says they’re diverse and inclusive,” Deborah said.
bpassifiume@postmedia.com
On Twitter: @bryanpassifiume
