Family wonders whether race played role in Montreal police showing up at son’s birthday party

A family says a quiet birthday party in Dollard-Des Ormeaux took a dramatic turn when police showed up and wonders whether race may have played a role.

Just minutes after his son, Jadon, turned 15, Jason Squires says he watched police stop his child.

“There’s no words. Whenever you see the police with your son, and it’s not coming from a place of support or assistance, I think at that point it becomes very scary,” Jason said in an interview.

Squires started his car, which was parked in the driveway of the house where the party had taken place, then headed to the backyard for one final sweep of the area.

Meanwhile, Jadon began walking home, just a few houses down the street.

He had just reached his own driveway when he was stopped by police.

“They just started asking me: Why were you running from that car? It made me feel like some sort of monster, like I did something wrong when I really didn’t,” the teenager told CTV News.

“I was super scared and nervous because I didn’t know what was going to happen.”

He says officers told him they suspected he’d broken into a vehicle — a vehicle he told them belongs to his father. Jadon says he was told to put his hands out and drop what he was holding: his phone, keys, and a bag with birthday cards.

Bernica Crichton, a family friend, rushed over and recorded part of the interaction.

“They have every right to stop him, it’s the way they did it. They treated him like a criminal,” Crichton said.

His father arrived moments later. He told officers the Cadillac belonged to him.

“He didn’t believe me,” the boy’s father said.

Police officers ran the plate anyway and left once the ownership was confirmed.

“He’s reputable in the community. He’s big in sports. He’s just getting ready to start his secondary four year. And the last thing I wanted him to ever experience is something of that nature,” Jason said.

A spokesperson for the Montreal police says officers intervened after noticing what they described as “behaviour deemed suspicious.”

They say they’re looking into the event to get a full picture of what happened.

Civil rights advocate Fo Niemi wonders whether race played a role in this intervention.

“Unconscious racial bias is something that increasingly courts have recognized as a leading factor in the escalation of a simple interception into something else that becomes regrettable,” said Niemi, the executive director of the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations (CRARR).

He believes police have a duty to repair any trust that may have been broken and calls on them to make it right.

“Reach out to the family, go meet them.. explain everything,” Niemi said.

The family’s experience has left them all hurt and shocked.

“It doesn’t matter where we live, what we drive or anything … we’re still profiled no matter what,” Jason said.

The family says police training needs to change and is deciding whether to file a formal complaint.

As for Jadon, he hopes that sharing his story will help others.

“I want everyone to know that they have a voice and that their voice matters, just like mine,” the teenager said.