Laval hit with lawsuit after officer filmed pulling Black man out of car by hair

A 24-year-old year-old Black man is seeking $275,000 in damages from the City of Laval, alleging he was "humiliated" and "traumatized" during an encounter with local police last spring.

Samuel Bunche claims that on May 25, aLaval police officer, Maxime Ouimet, "used violence by pulling his dreads" and kneeing him several times in the face.

According to a court documentfiled on Nov. 30, the incident began when Bunche, his brother and a friend were in a caron their way to buy some water, and noticed they were being trailed by a police cruiser.

Several blocks later, the men were pulled over.

Bunche claims Ouimet informed them that by virtue of being three people in a vehicle, they were violating physical-distancing rules.

Bunche claims Ouimetwent back to the police cruiser to verify hisID, and came back with several other officers.

It's at that point, according to Bunche, that things got violent. Thealtercation was caught on video.

Officers used "excessive force," screamed at Bunche and hit him in the face whilehandcuffing him, the court document says.

While sitting in the back of the police cruiser, Bunche claims Ouimet noticed him leaning toward the front seat, and told him to lean back.

In the court filing, Bunche claims the handcuffs made that impossible, and Ouimettold him that if he didn't comply, he would get hitwith a "mean elbow."

Bunche and the other two people who had been stopped were ultimately let go and Laval police issued $1,500 ticketsfor violating physical-distancing guidelines.

WATCH | Samuel Bunche explains why he is suing Laval police:

Samuel Bunche says he's suing the City of Laval for 'everybody' after violent police encounter

4 years ago

Duration 0:58

Samuel Bunche, 24, explains why he is seeking $275,000 in damages from the City of Laval over an encounter with police left him feeling "humiliated' and "traumatized."

Ouimetresigned from the police force, according to a message posted on his Facebook page on Oct. 7.

That same day,Laval police had announcedthey were investigating an officer's online statements that referredto the COVID-19pandemic as a scam.

Ouimet can be heard making that claim during a televisioninterview with TVA that he posted to his Facebook page. His page also includes other postsdownplaying the seriousness of the pandemic.

'This is not the way to arrest somebody'

By taking the city to court, Bunche hopes to help prevent similar incidents from taking place.

Hebelieves the officers judged him and the two other people who were with himbased on theirappearance.

"We got pulled over and they just see, [based on] the image, and they just assume what they want," he told CBC.

"That is something that'snot supposed to happen at all. Even if you're right or wrong, this is not the way to arrest somebody."

The City of Laval and Laval police have not yet responded to comment requests.

In the days followinglast spring's incident, police spokesperson Sgt. Genevive Major said, "the Laval police service does not have a racial profiling problem."

About two weeks later, Laval Mayor Marc Demersacknowledged that it was a problem, and vowed to implement changes including tracking suchcomplaints.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here