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See also Jason
Troy and Dee Brown | Racial
profiling |
Kirk Johnson
Halifax police apologize
to Kirk Johnson
Canadian Press, Jan. 19,
2004
Halifax - Halifax's chief of
police apologized to Kirk Johnson on Monday and admitted the
heavyweight boxer was discriminated against when an officer stopped
and seized his car five years ago, leaving him stranded on the
side of a highway.
Frank Beazley said he was sorry
for the difficulty the high-profile incident caused Johnson and
his family after the black athlete was pulled over in April 1998
for allegedly not having the proper papers for his car.
"I accept the finding
that Mr. Johnson was discriminated against and recognize that
this has been a humiliating, stressful and painful experience,"
Beazley said.
"I regret the effect this
incident and the inquiry has had on the black community."
But the head of the police
association issued a very different statement Monday, insisting
that Const. Michael Sanford acted appropriately and did not let
race affect his judgment when he stopped Johnson.
Det.-Sgt. Bill Hollis dismissed
the opinion of the police chief and the chairman of a human rights
commission that found Sanford discriminated against Johnson at
least in part because of race.
Hollis denied the veteran officer
was guilty of racial profiling after he spotted the 1993 black
Ford Mustang, noticed the car's Texas plates, allegedly saw two
black men inside and seized the vehicle.
"He made the stop because
of his training and experience, not because of racism or profiling
or stereotyping," Hollis, head of the Municipal Association
of Police Personnel, said moments after Beazley issued an official
apology.
"(The association) stands
behind Sanford and remains steadfast in our belief that racial
profiling is neither condoned nor tolerated by our members."
Hollis said the 450-person
association, which has 37 black members, will accept new training
to improve racial sensitivity, but he maintained that Sanford
should have responded the same way if faced with a similar situation.
Johnson launched the discrimination
case after he and his cousin Earl Fraser, who was driving the
vehicle, were stopped by Sanford. The boxer accused the officer
of pulling the pair over for "driving while black."
Sanford insisted he hadn't
seen the colour of the men's skin as he passed them, but Philip
Girard, the head of the inquiry, found race was a factor in Sanford's
decision to stop the car.
Girard also found Sanford treated
Johnson dismissively after the boxer produced his registration
and insurance papers from Texas, where he has been living.
Sanford, who will not be disciplined,
misread the date on the insurance and didn't recognize the registration
sticker on the windshield, leading him to believe Johnson was
without valid documentation.
Five police cars arrived on
scene and a tow truck later came to take away Johnson's car.
Victor Goldberg, Johnson's
lawyer, said he was dismayed by the police association's response
and worried that little would change in a force he argued was
tainted by systemic racism.
"They don't seem to get
it," Goldberg said from his Halifax office, adding that
Johnson was training in Dartmouth and not available for comment.
"You have to wonder how there can be change if the rank
and file don't think there's a problem. They're just worried
about their reputation."
Girard ruled that Johnson,
31, is entitled to damages of $10,000, a much smaller sum than
the $25,000 Johnson was seeking. Girard also awarded $1,000 to
Fraser.
Girard said he didn't believe
the Halifax police force is rife with racism. However, he ordered
the force to hire two people to complete an assessment on whether
race sensitivity training is needed.
Beazley said the force would
accept the suggestions by offering Sanford and other members
training that deals with stereotyping issues. They will also
review sensitivity training to see if it needs to be improved.
The force will also look into
ways to gather information on the role race plays in stopping
cars. A consultant will be brought in to determine what needs
to be done to deal with racial training.
© 2004 Bell Globemedia
Publishing Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Police union backs officer
in Johnson case
Broadcast News, January
20, 2004
A police union is taking issue
with a Nova Scotia human rights commission ruling that says boxer
Kirk Johnson was a victim of racism.
Detective Sergeant Bill Hollis,
of the municipal association of police personnel, says it stands
behind the Halifax officer, who pulled over, ticketed and towed
Johnson's car in April 1998.
He says Constable Michael Sanford
was only doing what his training told him to do when dealing
with a suspicious vehicle.
Hollis says racial profiling
is not condoned among front line Halifax police officers, or
management.
A human rights inquiry concluded
race was a big factor in Sanford's decision to stop Johnson's
car.
The Olympic boxer's vehicle
was ticketed and hauled away because Sanford mis-read Johnson's
registration and insurance card.
The car was returned the next
day without an apology.
Chief Frank Beazley apologized
Monday for what happened and says the force accepts all of the
inquiry's recommendations.
© Copyright 2004 Broadcast News
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Truth can never be
told so as to be understood, and not be believ'd. William Blake, The Proverbs of Hell
