A Heiltsuk man and his granddaughter have ended what he calls a three year fight for justice, after reaching a human rights settlement with Vancouver police.
Maxwell Johnson filed the human rights complaint in 2019, after both were handcuffed outside a Bank of Montreal branch in the city.
Johnson had been trying to open a bank account for his, then 12 year old, granddaughter, when staff members called 9-1-1, alleging fraud.
According to said staff, they had believed the provided ID, which included their government-issued status cards, to be fake.
In May, Johnson reached a settlement with BMO, which included financial compensation, an apology, and a requirement to display Johnson’s artwork.
Now, he has also settled with the Vancouver Police Board, who admitted the officers discriminated against the pair due to being Indigenous.
As a result, the Board will pay an undisclosed amount in damages to Johnson, as well as $100,000 to the Heiltsuk First Nation’s restorative justice program, and will be required to hire an anti-Indigenous racism officer.
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