Canada: Complaint Issued On Officer Caught On Video Making False HIV/AIDS Comment

Last Updated: February 8 2017
Article by Nicolas Di Nardo

Yesterday we released a post addressing a recent incident with Toronto Police and an innocent bystander, who decided to record the police while they were apprehending a suspect near Ryerson University earlier in the week. To find out more on that story, you can read our full blog post "Yes, You Can Film The Police. No, They Cannot Seize Your Device."

During the video an officer attempting to stop Waseem Khan from filming and seize his device commented on the suspect they were arresting. The office stated that the suspect "is going to spit in your face, you're going to get AIDS." Since then, as stated in our previous blog, the Toronto Police have apologized via Twitter and advised the public that they will be educating their officers on HIV/AIDS and make it clear that civilians have the right to film them in public, so long as they are not interfering with their work.

In an article published yesterday by The Star, Waseem expressed his outrage and disgust over the comment. "How could someone living with HIV/AIDS feel safe when dealing with the police if this is how they are seen?" He is not alone, as the spokesperson from The AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT) said the organization found this comment to be alarming and requested the police to hear the opinions of individuals living with the virus, and how it has impacted them. Waseem has now officially filed a complaint on the officer. Complaints such as this are sent to the Office of the Independent Police Review Director, which investigates officers' behaviour.

As this investigation is ongoing, they have not determined who will be educating the police about HIV/AIDS as a result of this incident, and there has been no verdict on the consequences for the officer from 51 Division.

With the backlash from a number of organizations and high ranking officials including the Mayor, this will be closely monitored and will have to be dealt with. If it wasn't for Waseem Kahn who decided to post his video online, the actions of the officers would have gone unnoticed.

For more information please check out previous blog post and continue to check our blog for updates on this topic and other interesting articles.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.

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