He followed anti-abortion campaigners in his neighbourhood, and wound up handcuffed in a police car

Mark Konrad didn't think he'd wind up handcuffed in the back of a police car after following and filming two people as they delivered anti-abortion flyers on his street. 

But that's exactly what happened Thursday to Konrad, an Old Norther well known for flying a different country's flag each day from his house at the corner of Maitland and Victoria Street. 

The incident began when Konrad arrived home to find an anti-abortion flyer in his mailbox. The flyers are distributed by the group Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform and have triggered complaints to city hall.

"I think what bothered me is how graphic it was," said Konrad of the flyers. "There were photos of 10-week and 20-week aborted fetuses. I'm all about free speech but I think that is way over the line." 

He says he stopped one of the two people handing out the flyers and asked them to take it back. 

"I wanted to give it back to him and say 'I don't want this,'" said Konrad. "And he said 'No, I can't take this back because of COVID.' So I took out my phone and I started video taping him." 

The couple, a man and a woman, continued to put flyers in the mailboxes on Maitland, one working each side of the street. As they headed south, Konrad continued to follow and film them. 

He told CBC News he simply wanted to observe and chronicle what they were doing. He also says he didn't get closer than two metres and didn't impede them. 

About halfway between Victoria and Oxford Streets, Konrad says the man delivering the flyers called police. 

A police officer arrived, interviewed the pair delivering the flyers, then spoke to Konrad. 

"[The officer] was saying I had to stop video-taping them and stop harassing them," said Konrad. "He said if I didn't, I could be arrested and charged with criminal harassment and stalking." 

Konrad posted a video on Facebook that shows some of his discussion with police. 

'Do you want to be charged?'

The officer can be heard telling Konrad he's being "very difficult" and offers to give Konrad a ride home if he agrees to stop following the couple. 

"So you decided to videotape these two nice people because they dropped a flyer off at your house?" the officer is heard asking Konrad on the video. "Do you want to be charged with criminal harassment?" the officer asks and calls Konrad's behaviour "ridiculous."

Sect. 264 of the Criminal Code includes a list of prohibited behaviours under the criminal harassment section including "repeatedly following from place to place the other person." 

Konrad says the officer gave him a choice: Stop following the couple or be charged.

"He was trying to be amicable, to smooth over everything for everyone's concern," said Konrad. 

Konrad refused to stop and was handcuffed and put in the back of a police car. He sat there for about five minutes while the officer interviewed the couple who'd complained. 

Konrad says once the couple left, the police officer drove around the block, let Konrad out and took off the handcuffs.  

No charges will be laid

CBC News contacted London police about the incident and a spokesperson confirmed it would not result in any criminal charges. 

Konrad says he has "all the respect in the world" for the London police. As a Black man growing up in Philadelphia, Konrad says he saw and experienced horrific incidents of police violence against his community. 

He says he's simply frustrated there appears to be no way to stop the delivery of the graphic flyers. They came to his mailbox even though he has a sign that says "no solicitors." 

"To put that in a mailbox where anyone has access to it, that's the issue for me." 

Konrad says an officer from the force's community outreach unit came to visit him later in the day. He asked him about the officer's conduct and said police are looking for a way to address issues disputes over the flyers.  

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.