Police officer's threat to homeless man called an 'exception'

A video of a verbal altercation between a Montreal police officer and a panhandler ignited controversy after itsurfaced online Thursday night, butthe head of a local shelter says it isnot typical of relations between the city's homeless and police.

• Video shows Montreal police officer threatening panhandler

MatthewPearce, the head of Montreals Old Brewery Mission shelter, said relations between police and the homeless are generally good.

The cellphone video, which appeared on YouTube, shows a French-speaking officer telling a man dressed in shorts and a T-shirt thatfour people hadcomplained about him because he was behaving aggressively while asking for change.

The officer tells the man, who was later identified as havingmental health issues, that he has to calm down and find a place to warm up. Then he tells the man that he will tie him to a pole for an hour if he gets another complaint.

Thankfully we dont see this kind of thing very often, Pearce told Radio-Canada. We have very good relations with the police and this is an exception to that rule.

While denouncing the actions of the officerin the video, Pearce said calling the police is the correct response to such situations, especially when there is a risk to the persons health.

Montreal police Cmdr.Ian Lafrenire said the actions of the officer in the videocould not be explained.

Its unacceptable, he said, adding that the panhandler in the video was later located and taken to hospital.

The officer is facing disciplinary action.

"It's so sad, because we put a lot of effort during the week. We had two patrollerspershift just to keep a liaison, a link with vulnerable people," Lafrenire said.

Pearce said that, from what he's seen, the police have taken the incident seriously.

"They sound mostly frustrated because Ithinkthey feel theyve been working very hard and then this act of one officer has sort of pulled them backwards," he said.

Mental illness among Montreal's homeless

Pearce is imploring people not to assume the incident is representative of how the Montreal police dealwith the city's homeless.

"What itlooks like is that thisofficer was frustrated.He said some boneheaded remarks that he shouldnt have said and a threat that no reasonable person would think would be acted on, but youre talking about someone with a mental illness so you dont know how theyre going to interpret it," Pearce said.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre called the incident indefensible.

He also said it was important not to interpret the incident as representative of Montreal police as a whole.

There are others in the [Montreal police department] who are doing a tremendous job [on the issue of homelessness], he said.

Pearce said the officer's comments were a poor choice of words, and that the Montreal force is now tasked with the job of explaining to people that this is not normal policebehaviour.

"Theyre trying to explain it to the public as, Look dont think of this as a general way that people in the police force are acting with the homeless,'" Pearce said.

Adis Simidzija, who shot the footage outside of the Jean-Talon metro station Thursday, said the officer left shortly after he noticed him taking the video on his cellphone. He said he tried to get the officers badge number but was only given his family name.

I found the officers attitude inhumane, he said, and alleged that its common among police.

Simidzija said he posted the video to get people talking about police and society'smistreatment of the homeless. He and another bystander tried to offer the homelessman assistance after the police left but the man refused.

He gave him some clothing that he had with him instead and called around to different organizations to see if there was one that could help, even though the mansaid hedid not want assistance.

Lafrenire saidthe man, who was known to police,was found by a special squad Thursdaynight and was brought to a hospital.