A young Black Montreal father is speaking out after he was allegedly detained by police for hours and his five-year-old son was placed into foster care after a citizen complaint of child abuse.
The incident began when the man, who is not revealing his name to protect the identity of his son, was waiting for the bus with his son on March 9 at the corner of Cavendish and Kildare in Côte Saint-Luc. While tending to his son who was soaking wet due to bad weather, a citizen allegedly called the police to report child abuse after witnessing the interaction.
As a result, the man was allegedly detained by police for hours and despite having to pee in the car, the officers allegedly refused him access to use a washroom.
The man, from Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, was later taken to the SPVM neighborhood police station 9. A social worker had allegedly authorized the return of the child to the father at the station, but the man was allegedly charged with a criminal offense and his son was put in foster care.
According to the Undertaking, his first court date will be in October.
The man was not allowed to say goodbye to his son before he was taken away nor does he know where his son is, or whether his son’s foster home is a Black or White family.
“I wonder if I would be treated like this had I been a single White father, I miss my son so much,” said Lewis (an alias name given to protect his privacy). “Detaining me in the police car for several hours without letting me use the washroom to the point I had to relieve myself in the car is simply inhuman.”
The Center for Research-Action on Race Relations hosted a press conference in Montreal on Thursday where the NDG man and the CDN Black Community Association raised questions about how the Montreal police handled the incident.
“The impact of police actions on both Lewis and his son can have long-lasting consequences,” said Fo Niemi, Executive Director at Center for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR). “This case may show why Black children are disproportionately present in youth protection and how Black father-and-son relationships can be easily damaged.”
In a written response to CityNews, the Montreal police (SPVM) said that the police intervention stemmed from a 911 call and that upon their arrival at the scene a person raised concerns about the safety and well-being of a child. They added that officers conducted necessary checks based on the information provided and their legal obligations.
The SPVM did not explain why the man was arrested, but that delays with an arrest and release are due to the necessary procedures, including verifying facts, writing reports and, when required, communicating with youth protection authorities.
