A video of a Montreal police officer kneeling on the neck of a Black teen boy while he was apparently in handcuffs has sparked outrage in the Canadian city about one year after the death of George Floyd under similar circumstances, the Washington Post reports.
Taken by an unnamed bystander, the 90-second video of the June 10th confrontation shows two Montreal police officers detaining a 14-year-old boy, who was lying on the ground handcuffed while one of the officers kneeled on his neck, even though the teen does not appear to be resisting. The other officer searches the boy’s backpack, pulling out what the officer says is a stun gun.
The boy, who was not identified because of his age, reportedly was not injured in the encounter. His mother said during a CBC interview, ““Is it because my son is Black? It’s not because we’re Black that we have to experience those kind of things. We’re humans. Poor child.”
The boy was one of two being questioned by Montreal police officers. The other boy reportedly had bear spray in his possession, while the 14-year-old allegedly pushed a police officer away and tried to reach into his backpack. At that point, the officers subdued the boy.
“I’m not a police officer, but I do have questions, like, should we still be using those techniques?” Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said Friday, noting that the video had hit home for her as the mother of a 15-year-old boy.