Vancouver officer who assaulted Black man during stop downtown apologizes in court
Const. Jarrod Sidhu spoke during sentencing hearing Wednesday
WARNING: This story contains video with distressing content.
The police officer who assaulted a Black man in downtown Vancouver nearly five years ago spoke publicly for the first time on Wednesday.
Const. Jarrod Sidhu, 30, apologized for his actions during a sentencing hearing in B.C. Provincial Court.
"I stand before you today humbled, embarrassed, and ashamed." said Sidhu, standing before the judge in a dark blue suit.
"I cannot find adequate words to express the profound regret I feel for the pain and suffering I have caused."
Sidhu was convicted in February of assault with a weapon for Tasering Jamiel Moore-Williams three times in 2018.
Moore-Williams, then 22, had been stopped by police for jaywalking in front of a police cruiser on Granville Street.
The former University of British Columbia football player has long maintained the officers targeted him because of his race. He has filed a civil suit and a human rights complaint against the police department.
In a victim impact statement delivered to the court, Moore-Williams said he does not trust the police. He said he struggles with being recognized in public as a result of the incident, which unfolded publicly on a weekend night in the city's downtown entertainment district.
Sidhu apologized directly to Moore-Williams on Wednesday, though he was not in the courtroom.
"I have witnessed the range of emotions you have experienced — anger, fear, disgust, and disappointment. It pains me deeply to witness the erosion of trust in law enforcement my actions have caused you," Sidhu said.
"You deserve more than just words; you deserve to feel safe and secure when dealing with the police, and I am truly sorry that my actions have shattered that trust."
Sidhu continued working as a patrol officer until he was found guilty this year. Since the conviction, court heard, he's been moved off the street to the department's operations command centre.
WATCH | Jamiel Moore-Williams is arrested in downtown Vancouver in February 2018:
Lawyers for the Crown and Sidhu each made recommendations Wednesday as to Sidhu's punishment.
Prosecutors asked the judge for a conditional sentence that would see Sidhu spend 60 days on house arrest, followed by one year of probation. He would also have a criminal record.
Defence lawyers called for a conditional discharge, a lighter sentence that would allow Sidhu to walk free without a criminal record so long as he obeys court-ordered conditions.
Sidhu's lawyers also presented character reference letters from his family, friends and colleagues in court during the hearing. They said their client has spent numerous hours, both on the job and during his personal time, reviewing use-of-force protocols and studying reports from the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. in wake of the incident.
Sidhu's father, also an officer with the police department, said his son had dreamed of being a police officer since childhood.
Jarrod Sidhu had been on patrol for less than two years when police stopped Moore-Williams.
His lawyers have argued the constable, then 24, felt "significant fear" during the interaction because he thought an "exceptionally strong" Moore-Williams had tried to choke him.
Judge Emmet Duncan rejected that defence, saying the use of the Taser was neither "proportionate [nor] necessary."
Court heard the Vancouver Police Department is "eager" to have Sidhu speak with colleagues about his experience during use-of-force training as an example of what can happen to officers who break the law.
"What better way to bring home [consequences] to members of the VPD … seeing someone who has made a mistake, has gone through the process that he's gone through, and what he can impart on them," said Bill Smart, Sidhu's lawyer.
Duncan has reserved his sentencing until a later date.
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.
With files from Liam Britten, Ethan Sawyer, Belle Puri and Meera Bains