The Vancouver Police Board has been found guilty of discriminating against a Black woman during a traffic stop on December 1, 2020. The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal ruled in favor of Safiya Elshazly, ordering the VPB to pay her $25,000 for the mistreatment she faced based on her race and color.
According to the tribunal’s decision announced recently, Elshazly, who was a backseat passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over, was singled out by the police leading to her arrest for obstruction of justice. Despite offering alternative ways of identification, she was removed from the vehicle and arrested by an officer named Cst. Cheng.
Elshazly, who does not consume alcohol due to religious reasons, was wrongly accused of being drunk by another officer at the scene. This incident, captured on video, did not show any evidence to support the officers’ claims of her being belligerent or rude.
The tribunal highlighted that Elshazly’s treatment was influenced by racial stereotypes, with the officers exhibiting disproportionate expectations of compliance from her based on her race. The $25,000 compensation was awarded for the harm caused to Elshazly’s dignity and emotional well-being, in addition to payment for the damage to her iPhone during the encounter.
