Racial Profiling or Wrong Identity

[canuckofapeach]

The complainant in this matter is alleging racial profiling but it appears as if an operation was in progress but ID'd the wrong person

TORONTO (CP) - A young lawyer who claims he was subjected to a police takedown only because he was a well-dressed black man driving an expensive car filed suit Wednesday, alleging false arrest and violation of his civil rights.

In a lawsuit against Toronto police and one of its officers, Jason Bogle seeks general and punitive damages of almost $2 million.

"It's important that the city really takes a strong look at the practices of police, specifically to young black males," Bogle, 26, said in an interview.

"I feel the community is being unrightfully targeted and . . . it's a typical response the police employ whenever there's a tragedy involving race."

Police have refused to discuss details of the incident while the lawsuit is before the courts. The allegations have not been proven, and a police spokesman said the force plans to file a defence.

Police spokesman Mark Pugash said the officers had legitimate reason to detain Bogle and acted "professionally" when they arrested him two days after the horrific Boxing Day killing of a 15-year-old girl.

Jane Creba, who was out shopping with her family on Yonge Street in Toronto's bustling downtown shopping district, was cut down in a hail of bullets when two groups exchanged fire that also injured six others.

In a statement of claim filed in Ontario Superior Court, Bogle says he and his girlfriend were chatting in his parked Lexus ES 300 on a west-end street on the night of Dec. 28.

Five unmarked vehicles suddenly hemmed his car in, and several people who turned out to be plainclothes officers, with hands on holsters, surrounded his car.

One of the officers ordered him to get out "and informed him that he was being investigated for being in possession of drugs and guns," the claim states.

"The plaintiff was very upset in respect to what was happening."

When Bogle asked why he was being investigated, defendant Det. Greg McDonald replied: " 'Given what recently happened on Yonge Street and what's going on in the city, we have do our job,' " the suit states.

"The detective further stated, 'Look, there is a guy out there with your same first and last name we have to investigate.' "

Police then let them go.

The claim also seeks $250,000 on behalf of Bogle's parents, who have suffered "emotional trauma, distress, anguish, anxiety, and apprehension" that he would be "harmed by the police."

The Boxing Day killing has set the city on edge after a year that saw 52 gun deaths.

Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty was expected to announce new initiatives Thursday aimed at boosting police efforts to break up gangs and curb the violence.

After Toronto's youth cabinet Wednesday, federal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said: "We seek to have a comprehensive, inclusive, balanced approach."


© The Canadian Press, 2006

[retdetsgt]

I hope they had a good reason to do the stop, especially if they told him they thought he was involved in drugs and being armed.

I had an ex partner and still a good friend who's black. He's driven a Mercedes as long as I can remember and he was constantly being stopped in the suburb where he lived. He took it for a long time and finally lost it and started making complaints. I don't blame him, he's a stand up guy and the only reason they were screwing with him was his race and his car.

If this guy met a reasonable description other than race, that's one thing, but if not.....

[Dalice]

I lived in Toronto for five years when I was younger and crime was unheard of. Literally, killings were taboo and now this gang violence is popping up and I think the police are having a hard time dealing with it and all the negative public reaction.

[Chautona]

I am sorry that these things always have to turn to money. Honestly, is the guy dead? Beaten? Injured? Is his career ruined for life for going through a 2 year trial to now be suspiciously acquitted?

Police officers are allowed to make mistakes. If they were perfect, there would be a lot of people sitting in churches every week worshipping an unnecessary God.

Sorry. I just really get tired of the attacks on officers. The are just doing their jobs and the reason genuine abuses of their position make the paper/news so quickly is because it isn't a daily occurance. Honestly, if babies were only born once every year or three, they'd make the headlines too.

*steps off of soap box, smashes it with hammer and runs before eggs end up in her hair*

[roopull]

...definition for "racial profiling" is any action undertaken for reasons of safety, security or public protection, that relies on stereotypes about race, colour, ethnicity, ancestry, religion, or place of origin, or a combination of these, rather than on reasonable suspicion, to single out an individual for greater scrutiny or different treatment.

Uh-huh... maybe the story is missing something, but exactly when were the cops profiling racially?

And, from my point of view, racial profiling or any kind of profiling is just a-friggin'-okay with me! I mean, if you know someone was killed at a NASCAR event, leave the latinos alone! If someone was killed at a Damon Wayan's movie, leave the whities alone! Sheesh! The more PC the world gets, the lower the collective IQ!

[Super Six 5]

Uh-huh... maybe the story is missing something, but exactly when were the cops profiling racially?

And, from my point of view, racial profiling or any kind of profiling is just a-friggin'-okay with me! I mean, if you know someone was killed at a NASCAR event, leave the latinos alone! If someone was killed at a Damon Wayan's movie, leave the whities alone! Sheesh! The more PC the world gets, the lower the collective IQ!

Did you don your white sheets when typing this or were they being laundered at the time? Your racial stereotypes are ridiculous and serve as a focal point to your lack of intelligence. Do us a favor and spread your garbage elsewhere.

[Chautona]

The more PC the world gets, the lower the collective IQ!

That is down right BRILLIANT! I LOVE IT. Three cheers from the 'left coast'

[Chautona]

Ok, I missed something. Now I'll be the first to admit that I am CLUELESS as to how racial profiling works. Honestly, I always think of it as being certain to wave the metal detector REALLY carefully over anyone who looks Middle Eastern in hopes of preventing another 911. I can see why it might happen but I'd think they'd use non arabic looking people if they were going planes next time just to throw us off so to speak.

So I don't understand how it is racially profiling to search for an asian man who is over six feet if the witnesses to the crime say that it was an asian man over six feet. It seems silly to look for a white man who is 5 feet just so it can't be considered 'racial profiling'.

Help me here, I know I'm missing something. I want to understand this.

Off to reread the article to see if I missed something huge.

[roopull]

Racial profling and racism are two totally different things. Pretending that there are not generalizations that can be made along racial, cultural or religious lines is to ignore facts. Ignoring them does not make them cease to exist. In most lines of work, I would think that there is no place for these generalizations, but in police work, I pray cops do not ignore these facts. I would hate to think that cops are actually required to or expected to ignore these things.

Hear me out... I'm not saying racist stereotypes should be the rule of the day, but there are some rather obvious generalizations that can and should be made. Being that I'm white, I'll stick with the Nascar analogy from my previous post. Anyone who has ever been to a Nascar event knows that a non-white face would be memorable. Assuming a crime did occur - God forbid - like a murder, it'd be foolish to assume the culprit was anything BUT a white guy. Now, that's not to say that all whites are Nascar fans (I'm not,) and not to say that all Nascar fans are white, but the fact remains that it is by an overwhelming margin a white past-time.

So, as the cops go around looking for the culprit, wouldn't it be silly to stop blacks, latinos & asians?

And, before anyone else decides I'm a racist, unintelligent or a Klansman, the man who married my wife & I is black... the last person to have dinner in my house as a guest was a black guy...

Can there not even be an open debate regarding racial profiling? Many in the FBI seem to think it's necessary and protested loudly when it was forbidden.

[Chautona]

Ok... so I mixed the name/description thing. I get that. Gotcha. It was the name they were looking for. Not a description.

Sorry.

Again, if they were looking for a name, how is it racial profiling? Didn't they just start running plates of people in the area or something? How else would they know his name was the same name?

[roopull]

So I don't understand how it is racially profiling to search for an asian man who is over six feet if the witnesses to the crime say that it was an asian man over six feet. It seems silly to look for a white man who is 5 feet just so it can't be considered 'racial profiling'.

Help me here, I know I'm missing something. I want to understand this.

Basically, racial profiling is basing a profile of a suspect at least partially on known racial stereotypes. Forgive me for sounding like an idiot, but an example would be if a deer-hunter's tree stand was stolen, you might assume it was a rural white fella, not an inner-city Indian immigrant. Make sense?

The trick is that certain liberals seem to want to say racial profiling is racial discrimination or oppression of some sort.

[Chautona]

Does anyone know of any studies that show the benefits and problems with racial profiling? I mean in certain areas, it seems like it'd do no good at all, but in some places, I can see that it could make a difference.

How often does it actually DAMAGE an investigation and how many times does it help in ways that you couldn't have solved the case without it?


I can see how it could fail and succeed in extreme ways.. My daughters are involved in Scottish Country Dancing. They have classes, balls, the works. AT the balls, the men all wear kilts, ghillies, weskits, sporrans... the works. At every ball, all men but one are white males. One is an asian guy wearing a blackwatch plaid kilt and purple socks.

If you had a murder at their big ball of the year, and the witness said, "It was an asian guy in a kilt" it'd be obvious who it probably was. However, if they said 'it is a white guy in a kilt'... well this man would be off the hook.

But... if in highly mixed areas (LA for instance) I can see that in many areas, it'd be worthless. There is a stronger homogenous mixture there.

Interesting. Off to research the history of racial profiling and it's success/failure rate.

Fun stuff guys! THANKS!

[Welpe]

I mean, if you know someone was killed at a NASCAR event, leave the latinos alone!

Hmmm, I have a Spanish last name and I enjoy the occasional NASCAR race. I smell the perfect crime.

If someone was killed at a Damon Wayan's movie, leave the whities alone!

I also enjoy the Wayan's brothers works. Double bonus!

[Stan Switek]

The problem is there are too many cop hating morons out there that do not know the defference between racial profiling & probable cause.

[Apollo8138]

Hmmm, I have a Spanish last name and I enjoy the occasional NASCAR race. I smell the perfect crime.


I also enjoy the Wayan's brothers works. Double bonus!

I have a Spanish last name too, Welpe... We must be partners in crime... :rolleyes: There are plenty of Hispanics that go to the Homestead races when they come down here... so you want to try that one again?