A BC Lions coach said he was stopped by police “for no reason” and accused the Mounties of racial profiling.
Defensive coordinator Ryan Phillips, who is black and from Seattle, went to twitter Sunday to describe his experience of an incident in Surrey.
“It’s honestly a bloody shame I just got breed profiled by the Surrey RCMP who was literally stopped for no reason and given no explanation when asked. Called four cops for one black man and after all this madness I still have no explanation why,” he wrote.
“I am aware of the violence that has happened in Surrey. But the way Surrey RCMP just acted was beyond unlawful and ridiculous. When I expressed myself as a black man from the states I felt profiled, they decided to handcuff me. You are the victim or threatened.”
Phillips didn’t say exactly when or where this happened, and told CTV News he didn’t want to make any more public statements. He also said in his tweets that players on the team whose practice facility is in Surrey have had similar experiences.
A spokesman for the CFL team, who was contacted for comment, referred CTV News to the RCMP.
The department’s Deputy Commissioner, Brian Edwards, addressed what he described as “serious allegations” in an emailed statement Monday.
“In light of the social media posts I feel there is a need to … clarify police action to maintain public confidence in Surrey policing and the actions of our officers. This can be a delicate balance, but I think it’s a necessary example,” he wrote.
Citing data protection law, he said police are limited in what details they can provide. However, Edwards also said the traffic stop was initiated after officers observed “erratic driving behavior spanning several blocks.”
He also said he was “confident” the driver was given documentation explaining the reason for his stop and that he was “pleased that officers acted very sensibly and met RCMP service standards in this interaction.” “.
Edwards also noted that Phillips or anyone else who has concerns about the RCMP’s conduct can file a complaint with the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission.