Service and protection, alright, with a broken arms. Not a way to treat citizens Toronto Police, you can do better.. pic.twitter.com/INYX8IcuCr

— Mr. Toronto Lawyer (@selwynpieters) June 7, 2015

 

Carding is a system implemented by Toronto police where officials can stop, question, document and store information from anyone they choose during non-criminal encounters anywhere in the city. Stats have shown that there are more black men in the carding database than the actual population of black men in the city.

While the cause of the altercation is still uncertain, there is absolutely no reason why this young man should have been subjected to such a violent interaction with police.

To make matters worse, this story has yet to be picked up by mainstream Canadian media. Like many other cases of police brutality in Canada — a place known to many as a safe haven for racialized peoples — it has simply been swept under the rug.

Toronto police and the city’s current mayor John Tory have faced heavy scrutiny over the past several months as citizens, including stellar Canadian journalist Desmond Cole, have demanded that carding be abolished. On Sunday afternoon, Tory called for an end to the controversial practice. However, the current Toronto police chief, Mark Saunders, (Guess what? He’s black.) has defended carding since being sworn in this past April.

Only time will tell if the act will be completely eliminated and if the mainstream media will give the victims of this practice substantial attention.

Blavity readers on Twitter can follow @selwynpieters and @desmondcole for updates on this case and police carding in Toronto.