Heiltsuk Nation says key VPD officers may not attend apology ceremony for handcuffing man and granddaughter
Posted October 23, 2022 6:34 pm.
Last Updated October 23, 2022 7:37 pm.
The Heiltsuk Nation says it’s concerned about a possible no-show of two Vancouver Police Department (VPD) officers at a special apology ceremony happening in their community on Monday.
“Because Heiltsuk protocols do not allow for people to stand in place of others, a traditional Apology Ceremony cannot be carried out unless all of those who caused the harm are themselves present,” a statement from Heiltsuk Nation said.
The two officers were responsible for handcuffing Maxwell Johnson and his granddaughter as they tried to open up a bank account in Vancouver almost three years ago.
Along with members of the VPD board and leadership, the nation says that the two officers were expected to give oral apologies to Johnson and his family.
Maxwell Johnson and his granddaughter are handcuffed by police outside a Bank of Montreal branch in downtown Vancouver on Dec. 20, 2019. (Courtesy Union of BC Indian Chiefs)
“It will be extremely hurtful to me and my family if the VPD Constables do not attend our ceremony tomorrow. We were looking forward to coming full circle with them and putting this behind us,” Johnson said in the statement.
The ceremony comes after they reached an agreement with the Vancouver Police Board to settle a human rights complaint stemming from their handcuffing.
Johnson and his minor granddaughter were detained outside a Bank of Montreal branch in Vancouver after they tried to open an account for the girl in December of 2019.
Police had been called because a bank employee suspected they were using a fake Indigenous status card as identification.
A statement from the Heiltsuk Nation says the “unique and impactful” settlement involves an apology for discrimination, undisclosed damages to Maxwell Johnson’s family, and a $100,000 payment to fund the nation’s restorative justice department.
But now the nation says the two officers who handcuffed the duo may not be attending.
Related Articles:
“The potential non-attendance of the constables is suggested by a passenger list for a chartered plane carrying a Vancouver Police Board delegation to Bella Bella on Oct. 24th, that has been shared with Heiltsuk Nation,” a statement noted.
The nation says if the two officers don’t show up, it would be seen “as a symptom of the larger systemic failure to acknowledge and take responsibility for systemic racism in policing.”
Maxwell Johnson and his granddaughter at a press conference on Oct. 8, 2022. (CityNews)
“If they don’t attend, a bigger question is why they do not feel compelled to. What does that say about the culture they are working in? It is in our culture to forgive, and it is also in our culture to take responsibility,” Johnson explained.
The statement adds that the nation is hopeful the constables will be in attendance.
“In the absence of a full apology, the weight of that traumatic incident will remain on me and my family, and we will need to find new strength to bear it as we move forward,” Johnson added.
The nation adds the invitation remains open to the constables, “Two chairs and space on the agenda will remain reserved for them to offer their oral apologies on Monday.”
CityNews has reached out to VPD for comment on this story.
With files from The Canadian Press
