Human rights application alleging racial profiling during a traffic stop dismissed for insufficient evidence.
The applicant, a young Black man of Haitian ethnicity, alleged he was racially profiled when an Ottawa police officer stopped him for allegedly using a cellphone while driving.
The applicant denied holding his phone and claimed the stop was a pretext based on racial stereotypes.
The Tribunal found that while the officer may have been mistaken about the cellphone, there was insufficient evidence to infer that the applicant's race, colour, ethnic origin, or age were factors in the decision to stop him or in his treatment during the interaction.
The application was dismissed.
Joel-Pierre Jean v. Ottawa Police Services Board and Constable Tim J. Karwaski, 2015 HRTO 1488